


Holiday Resort

by MaresThird



Series: Holiday Resort [1]
Category: AU - Fandom, Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Death, Emotional Baggage, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-05 11:28:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 89,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16809736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaresThird/pseuds/MaresThird
Summary: Christen Press is a professional acquisition consultant. She goes to failing businesses, evaluates them, then buys them for her Father's powerful LA company. But lately, she's feeling that maybe she needs a change, she's burnt out.Her Father sends her to a resort to evaluate it for possible purchase. What do you think might happen when Christen finds herself in Oregon for the holidays and meets an array of intersting people?Hint: A Hallmark Christmas, Preath style.





	1. A Change of Plans

Friday, December 19th   
Christen stands in her office near the window, looking out through the tall buildings to see her slim view of the ocean. She glances down, seeing the cars backed up on the street, the hustle of people walking, looking tiny from the fortieth floor. She was taking a five minute mental break, pleased with herself for closing the deal on the Walsh Paper Company.

It was an important account, the Walsh family company was failing and she was instrumental in persuading the owners to sell while still retaining their positions for two years during the transition. She always did her best to maintain the staff of the companies she was in charge of acquiring. It made for easier transitions, somewhat reduced employee anxiety, especially when she would present the turn around plan to the staff in those companies. Most of the time, by the end of the two year mark, most of the original employees would officially become part of Press Enterprises. 

It helped that Press Enterprises offered attractive corporate packages, impressive salaries, flexible schedules, excellent insurance, clear incentives for bonuses and raises and some awesome company perks. Perks such as corporate retreats in Hawaii, anniversary vacations and monthly catering. 

When Christen was successful in acquiring new companies and making them profitable quickly, she really liked that she wasn’t making people lose their jobs. Sure, there were times some staff had to be cut, but she would send resumes to other Press holdings for those individuals with talent and a great work ethic before officially giving them the boot. 

She had always liked numbers, as a child she was multiplying and dividing before she turned six. Her Father was over joyed and encouraged her, her sisters found joy in playing with dolls and other normal childhood activities. Not Christen, Christen preferred to play bank, where sometimes she was a teller or other times she gave loans. 

She smiles when she remembers how she approached her Dad when she was ten with a business plan for her lemonade stand. He reviewed it with her and pointed out some flaws, praised her organization and encouraged her to set up her stand. 

When she was older, she worked in his office during the summer and during school breaks and she loved it. Dressing up in business attire, feeling professional, working with his staff and learning their positions. She was always respectful and asked many questions, curious as to how things worked. How they accomplished what they did. It fascinated her. 

When she was accepted at Stanford, she grinned for a week straight, proud of herself and even more delighted by her parent’s reaction. They were proud of her, of course, but even more so when Christen presented them with her college plan. She had saved her earnings from her summer job, had attained a full academic scholarship and had a game plan of how she would be able to afford her college experience on her own. 

Impressed with insistence on doing it on her own, her parents let her do it her way. Yes, they had given her a car for her eighteenth birthday, yes, her wardrobe was all name brand, yes, she received a new laptop every couple of years, but she never took it for granted. She wanted to earn her keep. She wanted to prove to them and herself that she could do it on her own. 

She sailed through college, interning at another company and that’s how she found her passion for acquisitions. She didn’t care for how that company instituted their policies after the take overs, she was much more sensitive to the employees and the anxiety they felt. She learned way more than any of her business books and classes taught her. 

She learned how to read people, how to present herself confidently, how to be persuasive and how to make people agree with her. 

When she applied for a job with her Father’s company, she was accepted as an entry level employee, but over the years she proved her worth, without using her name and being the owner’s daughter. She made sure to seek out other’s opinions, she never took credit for something she didn’t do and she actively stood up for those whose work had gone unnoticed. She was promoted quickly due to her work ethic and personality, not because her last name was Press. 

She ingratiated herself with her coworkers, fast becoming respected in her office and soon throughout the company. The term prodigy was often mentioned with her name, but she never let it go to her head. She was grateful for the opportunities she was given. She worked long hours to be successful and was rewarded and promoted accordingly. 

So, here she is, just before Christmas and she feels like crap. Something is missing. She can feel the excitement leaving her at the prospect of seeking out her next assignment. As the youngest Junior Vice President, she was given somewhat free reign to research and find companies that would align with Press Enterprises needs and then acquire them. Her team worked together well, they often went out socially and you could say they were all very good friends. 

They all were talented in their own ways and each of them were valuable to the success of their projects. 

Dealing with the Walsh family left her feeling sad, sad that the company they built from the ground up would now become part of a large corporate conglomerate. She felt guilty about her hand in it, even though she did everything she could to make it a smooth transition. 

It’s the first time she’s ever felt this way after completing an acquisition. She feels like she did something wrong. 

She glances at her watch, it’s nearing three o’clock on a Friday, her final team meeting before the holidays is in an hour. Most everyone on her team is taking time off for the holidays and she was as well. Her parents had been sketchy about their Christmas plans, but Christen knew they would all be together to celebrate. 

She frowns again, thinking how her family has changed with the accumulation of wealth. It wasn’t that their personalities had changed, it was that they all had become so busy. Events to make appearances at, dinners with possible clients and partners, out of town meetings, weeks at different cities, working with new companies acquired. She longed for the days of just being able to take a weekend and stroll along the beach, find somewhere seaside to eat and relax. 

She needs a vacation. She needs to recharge. She needs to get her head straight and stop feeling how she is. Maybe she does need a change. 

Christen flinches at the thought. A change? In her career? How could that be? No, she was practically born to do this, there’s no way she would leave the company. She was intended to become President of it after her Father retires. She shakes her head, I’m just tired and need to get out of here, she thinks. I’m beginning to get stir crazy. 

She walks away from the window, moving to her mini bar and grabs a bottle of water from the small fridge. She uncaps it and is chugging it down when she hears a knock at her door. 

“Come in,” she breathes out, coughing from the water going down the wrong pipe. 

“Christen?” a voice calls out, a face popping out from behind the door and entering the room, “uh, Big Daddy wants to see you,” the woman says. Her eyes are alight with curiosity, “What do you think he wants?” she whispers, wiggling her eyebrows at her. 

“Oh, Kelley,” Christen, shakes her head, “don’t be dramatic,” she smiles at her. 

Kelley O’Hara is her best friend. They went to college together, spent their summers interning together and she was delighted when she persuaded her to finally come and work with her.   
Yeah, sure, she was her boss, but she’s never had to play that card on any member of her team. They are a unit and she makes sure the higher ups know of all her team members’ accomplishments. 

If Christen had it bad with numbers, Kelley was exponentially worse. The woman was a walking computer, she could spout facts without hesitation. Yeah, she was a bit wild, but when she focused, she was laser focused and she produced. 

She was the one who could draw out Christen, make her let her hair down and have fun every once in a while. She was her sounding board and now she’s standing there in front of her, an impish grin on her face. 

“Go see him and then meet us in the conference room,” Kelley suggests, “then we can all get out of here.” 

“See you in a few,” Christen nods, following her out of her office and to the elevator banks. 

XXXX

Christen enters the waiting room and is greeted by her Father’s personal assistant, Abby. 

“Hey, CP!” Abby greets, giving her a smile, “How’s it going?” 

Christen smiles, “Pretty good, Abs,” she says, “just closed Walsh so I’m ready for the holidays.” 

“Nice!” Abby offers a hand for Christen to high five, “He’s waiting for you and I’m out of here,” she stands, coming around her desk to give Christen a hug, “See ya next year,” she says, “I hope you’re taking some time off,” 

“I am,” Christen says, stepping out of the embrace, “you have a great time with your family,” 

Abby looks at her critically, nodding silently, “You too,” she says, nodding towards the door of Christen’s Father’s office. 

“Christen!” Her Father rises from his chair behind his impressive mahogany desk, “How are you?” 

“Hi, Dad,” Christen greets, striding towards him, reveling in his bear hug. He gives the best hugs and she’s missed them. She notes how strange she feels like she needs to hug her Dad more. Like, she’s let life get too busy to even hug him much anymore. Although, he’s been just as busy, if not busier. 

“Let’s sit,” he suggests, leading her to the two leather chairs in front of his desk, “I’ve got an important task for you.” 

“Oh?” Christen wrinkles her forehead. What could it be, she wonders, last minute Christmas shopping for Mom, a tweak to the Walsh deal, she has no idea. 

He picks up a file and holds it in his lap, “I have a site visit I need completed ASAP,” he begins, “I want to acquire this particular holding and I want it badly. I need you to go and scope it out, tour it, look over their numbers, find out everything about them.” 

“What is it?” Christen questions, shifting in her chair. 

“Holiday Resort.” He smiles at her, handing her the file. “You have a reservation to stay there until January second. You leave tomorrow morning.” 

“A resort?” Christen questions, opening the file. A ski resort in Oregon. It’s so out of character to the needs of Press Enterprises. She looks up at him, questioningly. 

“Think of it as a mix between business and pleasure,” he says genially, “enjoy what they offer and bring back a complete assessment to me when you return.” 

She leans towards him in her chair. 

“Dad?” She isn’t sure she heard him correctly. 

“You seem like you need to take a break from here,” he shares with her, “I know you’re taking time off for the holidays, but I know you’ll spend it researching companies and working from home. I fear you’re beginning to feel a little burnt out and I want you to forget about this place for a while.” 

“I’m not!” she protests, shaking her head vehemently, “I’m good, I swear,” 

He just gives her a smile, “Sweetie,” he says softly, “it’s okay if you are,” he leans towards her, resting his elbows on his knees, looking at her intently, “I’m going to do the very same thing,” 

“What?” Christen feels as if her eyes are actually going to pop out of their sockets. 

“Yeah,” he nods, “I’ve been feeling a bit disconnected for a while and I need to get away from here and think and relax. The timing is perfect. Your Mom and I will be back on January fifth.” 

“No Christmas?” she just can’t believe her ears. 

“We’ll do it after,” he promises, “Channing and Tyler will both be gone, you knew that, though, right?” 

Oh, yeah, she thinks, nodding slowly, “Right,” 

“Excellent!” he smiles at her, clapping his hands and standing up, “Now, give me a hug and get out of here,” 

“Love you, Dad,” Christen says as she hugs him, “I’ll call Mom tonight,” 

“I’ll talk to you over the holidays, sweetie,” he says, keeping his arm around her shoulders as he leads her to the door, “find some time to have fun out there, okay?” 

“Sure,” she nods, trying to give him a sincere smile, “I’ll keep you posted.” 

“See ya next year!” He laughs and shuts the door. 

She walks in a daze to the elevator, pressing the button and waiting for the doors to open. 

XXXX

“Are you okay?” Kelley asks, standing from her chair when a somewhat pale Christen enters the conference room. Julie Ertz and Alyssa Naeher all looking up in concern. 

“Yeah,” Christen says absently, slowly walking to her seat and sitting down. “Okay,” she looks up, noticing Kelley still standing, “so, these next couple of weeks,” she begins. 

“Wait, wait, wait!” Kelley exclaims, “What happened with the Big Guy? You look pale as a ghost!” she leans over the table, “Did he fire you?” 

“No, he didn’t,” Chris leans back in her chair, rubbing her temples with her fingertips, “I’m leaving on a business trip tomorrow.” 

“Where to?” Alyssa asks, looking intrigued. 

Christen flips open the file, “Uh, Portland,” she answers, seeing her flight information, her eyes scanning the file. Kelley walks around the table to her side, snatching the file and bringing it back to her seat. 

“Hm,” Kelley says, looking over the file, “Holiday Resort on Mt. Hood,” 

“Did he send you on vacation?” Julie asks, a slightly amused look on her face. 

“Not exactly,” Christen explains, “he wants to acquire the resort for some reason,” 

“Is that so?” Whitney scrunches her forehead, “That doesn’t seem like something we would normally go after,” 

“I know, right?” Christen explodes, “I don’t understand why he did this!” She stands up and begins to pace, “Why would he send me to a resort in the winter? I don’t even ski!” She’s waving her arms as she paces back and forth. “He’s leaving on a vacation with my Mom, they won’t be around, my sisters are leaving, we’re all spending Christmas on our own!” 

She stops in her tracks, realizing that she just verbally processed in front of her team. She sits back down. 

“Did he say why he wanted to acquire the resort?” Julie asks, glancing at Alyssa and Kelley. 

“No,” Christen replies. 

“Did he say why he wanted you to go there now?” Kelley asks, looking up from the file. 

“No,” she says, “not really.” She hedges. 

“What do you mean, ‘not really’?” Julie narrows her eyes at Christen. 

Christen feels the three sets of eyes on her. She shifts in her chair. “It’s not true,” she says suddenly, feeling the need to defend herself before she even tells them what her Father said, “I’m not getting burned out,” 

She watches with surprise as the three lean back in their chairs, all wearing identical smirks on their faces. 

“What?” she questions. 

“Christen, honey,” Alyssa says kindly, “you are so burned out it’s not even funny,” 

“What? No, I’m not!” she shakes her head. 

“Yeah,” Julie nods, “you really kinda are,” she says truthfully. 

“No, you’re wrong,” Christen protests, “I’m just a little tired, I love what I’m doing.” 

“Christen, honey, sweetie,” Kelley says, “when was the last time you let loose?” 

Christen opens her mouth but nothing comes out, she can’t even think of the last time she went out and had fun. 

“Exactly.” Kelley nods smugly, “When was the last time you got laid?” 

Christen blushes, “I’m not into casual sex Kelley,” she says with a hint of irritation. 

“You should rethink that position,” Kelley says knowingly, “and maybe some other positions,” she grins. 

Julie and Alyssa chuckle, shaking their heads at Kelley. 

“This is like a Lifetime Christmas movie,” Julie gushes, “you’re so gonna meet someone, fall in love, leave this job and live happily ever after.” She’s smiling from ear to ear, her eyes sparkling. 

“Jules,” Christen snorts, “this is real life, shit like that doesn’t happen.” 

“Don’t you see?” Kelley continues, “He set you up,” she says nodding knowingly, “you go there, relax, hook up with some hot snow bunnies and have a good time.” 

“I still have to assess the operation, Kel,” Christen informs her, “I just can’t blow it off,” 

Kelley leans forward, resting her arms on the table, “So, you do that during the day and party like a rock star at night,” 

Christen rolls her eyes at her. 

“She’s got a point, Chris,” Alyssa says, “you need a break, a serious break. You haven’t been yourself since you broke it off with Vero.” 

The door opens abruptly and a well dressed man enters, “Sorry I’m late guys,” Nima says, “that conference call ran late.” 

“Who does that on a Friday?” Julie shakes her head, “What did they want?” 

“Prepping numbers for year end,” Nima responds. “We’ll be fine. We’re up, like, really up.” 

He looks around the room, pausing on Christen’s body language in her chair. She’s slumped in it. 

“What did I miss?” he asks cautiously as he takes his seat. 

“Big Daddy is sending Christen off to a resort so she can get her inner whore on,” Kelley states with a grin. 

“About time,” Nima nods, looking over at Christen, “you need some serious R and R.” 

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Christen explodes, “I’m fine, really, I am.” 

“No, you’re not,” Julie insists, “honestly, we’ve been worried.” 

“Why didn’t you bring it up?” Christen asks, looking at them all. She’s surprised, she’s shocked, she’s in denial but now…

“We did,” Alyssa nods, “many times, as carefully as we could, but you would shut it down before we could get anywhere.” 

Christen folds her arms and crosses her legs at her ankles. She knows she would change the topic anytime they brought up her personal life. 

“Okay,” Kelley stands again, “I’ve got to go,” she says, “but here’s the plan, Christen. You,” she points at her, “are going to find some way to have some fun. Have someone blow out those spiderwebs in between your legs. I’ll talk to you after Christmas and if you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll come up there if they’ve got a room.” 

“You just want me to scope out the chicks,” Christen says dryly as she rolls her eyes at her. 

“Of course,” Kelley pulls Christen from her chair, “you have a busy night packing, do you even have winter clothes?” 

“Yes,” Christen nods, hugging her, “have a good Christmas.” 

The others depart as well, exchanging Christmas blessings and promising to get together outside of work in the New Year. 

Christen shuts the lights off in the conference room, sighing as she closes the door. She goes to her office, putting the Holiday Resort file in her briefcase and a few other reports she wants to review. I’ve to pack, eat some dinner, what time is my flight, her mind is bouncing here and there as she gathers her belongings. She makes sure to enter her new task in her planner, writing out the dates of her trip, snorting at the January second return. 

She locks her office door, shuts off the lights and closes it behind her, resolving to perform her duties on this resort and complete her mission. Burned out or not. 

XXXX

Half way through her bottle of wine, Christen gets the brilliant idea to look up the amenities at Holiday Resort. She grabs her laptop and heads to the kitchen, typing in the address and then turning to the fridge to find something to eat. She sits at her island and eats a rather boring frozen dinner she microwaved as she views the website. 

Tucked away on Mt. Hood, the resort looks picturesque, although Christen is no fool in how photos can be different from reality. Fifty rooms, twenty cabins, a grand lodge and a spa offering a decent amount of treatments ranging from a variety of massages to yoga classes and the typical resort spa fair. 

Nodding along as she scrolls, she sees they offer discounted lift tickets to their own slopes, a young skier program, snowboarding, snowmobiling and show shoeing. There’s a general store, full of ski and snowboard stuff, clothing and more and a restaurant. 

Doing her due diligence, Christen decides to click on all of the tabs, scrolling through the ski lessons, resort special events, and the staff page. The staff tab shows group photos of the resort staff with some candids intermixed with the official photos. 

One makes Christen lift her finger off her laptop. There’s this beautiful woman in outdoor gear, an orange beanie on her head, laughing and giving a shaka sign to the camera. Christen stares dreamily at her, thinking she’s one of the most striking women she’s ever seen. 

After a few more minutes, most of which Christen spent trying to find more images of the mysterious beauty, she clicks off the staff page. 

She’s surprised to see the resort is open year round with river rafting, hiking trails, horse back riding and more. 

The place seems nice, not her personal choice for a vacation but she can work with it. Satisfied with her digital research, she heads back to her room, frowning upon seeing all of her clothes strewn about. She pulls her hair back into the ponytail and determinedly begins to pack. 

As she zippers shut the first suitcase, she shakes her head and sighs loudly. 

“What the Hell is my Dad thinking?”


	2. Snow Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen settles in to her new assignment, meeting staff and embarrassing herself in front of a gorgeous woman.

Saturday, December 20th 

“Good afternoon,” a woman Christen’s age greets as Christen approaches the check in desk, “welcome to Holiday Resort. How may I help you?” She offers Christen a cheery smile. 

“I’d like to check in,” Christen nods, setting her purse on the counter and pulling out her wallet. 

The desk clerk glances at her license and credit card, recognizing her name, “Ms. Press, would you like to speak with Ms. Holiday?” 

From the file she read fully on the flight over, Christen noted the owner, Lauren Holiday, did not want it to be common knowledge that they were considering selling, so Christen was to introduce herself and be known as a consultant during her stay. 

“Perhaps I could meet with her later?” Christen asks, “I’d like to settle in first.” 

“Of course,” the woman replies with a smile, “would after dinner, say around eight work for you?” 

“That would be fine,” Christen nods and smiles. 

“Emily,” she says and stands up, “nice to meet you, Ms. Press.” 

“Please, call me Christen,” she replies as she shakes her hand. 

“Here is your room key,” Emily hands over an actual key, not the typical credit card style one, “and here is a map of the property. Dinner is in the lodge or you may opt to visit the restaurant,   
it’s menu is a bit limited, it caters mostly to families with children. The lodge restaurant features some specialties from our chef.” 

“You have a chef?” Christen asks, kicking herself for not reviewing the menu options more closely. 

“Yes,” Emily nods happily, “she’s from Germany, so there’s always at least two traditional German dishes, but she’s really into fitness so our menu is organic and locally sourced. She does some vegan, some keto and the rest is just super clean eating.” 

“Nice,” Christen nods, looking forward to checking it out. 

“May I have someone bring your luggage up to your room?” Emily politely asks, looking at her expectantly. 

“Yes, that would be wonderful,” Christen smiles, relieved she doesn’t have to pull her two large suitcases around. 

“I’ll have someone bring them to you in a few minutes.” Emily nods, grinning at her. 

“Is there anywhere I can get a cup of coffee?” Christen asks, thinking it would warm her up. She’s been freezing since she landed. 

“Sure,” Emily nods, gesturing to her, “follow me.” She leads her to a slim table to the right of the check in area, laden with a two unit coffee maker, a Kuerig with a variety of cups available and hot chocolate on warming unit. “Please help yourself,” 

“Thank you, Emily,” Christen says, her eyes scanning her choices. She sees one of the pots is a dark roast and reaches for a cardboard cup. 

“Oh, here,” Emily hands her an aluminum tumbler, “you can use this, it’ll keep it warmer.” 

“Oh, thanks.” Impressed with the Yeti logo, similar to one she has at home. “I’ll bring it back later,” 

“Keep it,” Emily insists, “use it while you’re here,” she checks the small bowl filled with sugar packets, “this is all complimentary, so just come and get some whenever you’d like.”

“Thanks,” Christen smiles and reaches for the pot of coffee. 

Once her coffee is prepared to her liking, Christen casually strolls through the lodge, appreciating the old time style architecture, the scenic paintings on the walls. She glances at her map, sighing that she’ll need to walk outside in the cold to get to her room. It’s a short walk by going outside, otherwise it would appear to be a much longer one by weaving through the lodge to connect to her destination. She’s trembling by the time she enters the building, greeted by another person at a desk in the lobby. 

She heads to her room, beginning to think a hot shower is needed after being out in the frigid weather. 

She takes the stairs up three flights, just to warm herself up and follows the small signs to where her room should be located. A casually uniformed young man is exiting what appears to be her room as she approaches. 

“Have a nice stay, Ms. Press,” he smiles at her as he passes. 

“Thank you,” she nods, “thanks for bringing the bags up.” She finds a five in her wallet, handing it to him, “I appreciate it.”

“Thank you, Ms. Press!” he happily exclaims, making Christen wonder if he’s ever gotten tipped before. 

She enters the room, examining it with a critical eye. A warm homey look with three outer walls of wood in a rich, light honey color. A thick, luxurious carpet throughout, comfy looking over stuffed furniture. A small kitchen area with granite counter tops and some cabinets on the wall, a small fridge, a two burner stove top and a sink. A mini fridge and small bar area has her nodding her head in approval. 

The heads to the nearest door, smiling as she views the bathroom. It’s spacious with natural rock tiles, a rainfall showerhead and large old fashioned porcelain claw foot bathtub. There’s plenty of counter space with the sink, a wooden shelving unit filled with fluffy beige towels. She smiles, taking a sip of her coffee, happy the towels aren’t white. She hates white towels. She sees them entirely too much when she’s traveling and this is a nice surprise. It makes her feel more at home. 

She leaves the bathroom, curious to find her luggage. She moves to the next door, it’s a basic room, a queen sized bed, nightstand, one window looking out to the mountain. A dresser along a wall, no big deal. 

When she opens the next door, she’s hit with an incredible view of the mountain, snow capped evergreen trees, rocky crags of stone peaking out from the layers on snow. Mesmerized, she walks to the window, realizing it’s a patio door, leading to a medium sized outdoor area. She looks at the trees and takes in the scene. It’s breathtaking. 

She looks down and sees a path with a row of small cabins. She watches as a figure wearing a black jacket with reflective yellow piping exit the last one on the row, she can’t tell if it’s male or female, walking slowly down the path. The person stops walking, sets their orange backpack down and looks around. The figure walks off the path a few steps, turns their back to Christen and stills themselves. 

Christen sees the large yellow First Aid letters on the back on their jacket, watching curiously as this stranger raises their arms to their sides and suddenly falls backward.   
Christen’s eyebrows raise and a giggle escapes her lips as she watches the person flapping their arms and legs to make a snow angel. The figure stops moving and Christen can see them taking deep breaths, then gracefully popping up and getting back on the trail. 

Now realizing it’s a female, Christen watches as she shakes the snow from herself, taking off a blaze orange winter hat and patting the snow from it and then taking out her phone and snapping a photo. She puts her phone in a pocket, picks up her backpack and looks at her creation. The woman grins and Christen does as well, happy to be able to see this little moment. 

She watches the woman take another deep breath and then slowly saunter down the path and out of view. Christen wonders if she just saw the beauty from the webpage she stalked last night. 

Christen stays at the window for some after, thinking about how the woman just threw herself into the snow without a care, making a snow angel of all things. She doesn’t remember the last time she made one, she had to have been a child. She never experienced a White Christmas, not living in California. She never really had the fun of playing in snow growing up. 

Christen smiles, grateful to have witnessed such a silly thing. She pauses, her smile fading when she thinks about Kelley asking her when was the last time she had fun. She used to have fun. All the time. She used to have balance in her life. Now, she just works and accomplishes her goals. When did that become more important to her, she wonders. 

After a few minutes, she turns to view the room, the large king sized bed with what looks like an incredibly fluffy down comforter across it and a mound of pillows. A fireplace, plush carpet underfoot, a skylight over the bed. It’s an incredibly nice room. Nice sized closet and her own private bathroom, similar and even a little more luxurious from the first one. 

She sets her coffee cup down on the convenient table next to the wardrobe and eyes her suitcases. She unpacks, setting out her napping outfit, a dinner outfit, and her pajamas. She brings her toiletries to the bathroom, setting them on the counter, leaving them to organize later. 

She pulls out her planner, congratulating herself on accomplishing her daily goals. Now, she can relax. Take a shower, nap, have dinner. Then meet Ms. Holiday. 

Christen slept way longer than she intends, waking three hours later, feeling refreshed and so comfortable in the bed. She lazily stretches under the comforter, seriously contemplating ordering room service and staying here until her meeting. With a sigh, she gets out of bed and slowly changes into her dinner outfit. 

XXXX

“I must say,” Christen smiles, “dinner was fantastic,” 

“Oh, thank you!” Lauren smiles, “I’ll make sure to tell Nadine you enjoyed it. It will make her day.” 

Christen felt an immediate liking to Lauren Holiday upon their introduction. Similar in age, Lauren has light brown curly hair, built like a soccer player and is quick to smile. 

“And that’s how I came in to running this place,” Lauren finishes, nodding at her. 

“Huh,” is all Christen can say, for once she’s been caught daydreaming. I never do that, she thinks, panicking slightly, maybe I am burnt out, I’m not concentrating. Huh, she thinks, I’ll have to figure this out. Oh, fuck, I’m spacing out in front of Lauren. 

“Christen?” Lauren questions, “Are you alright?” 

“Hum?” Christen looks up sharply, “Oh, yeah, of course, sorry.” She says quickly, “I must just be a little jet lagged, too much travel recently. You know how it is,” 

Lauren nods and smiles politely, “We can go over this tomorrow, if you’d like,” she offers kindly, “it’s getting late and maybe an early night would be helpful for you,” 

Normally, Christen would never allow herself to show weakness in front of anyone while she’s working, but she’s feeling tired and is now embarrassed at not having her A game. 

“You know,” she considers, “I think I’ll take you up on that,” she says, nodding, “I’m not exactly in business mode and I apologize for it.” 

Lauren waves a hand at her, “Please!” she says, a smile creeping across her face, “I’m not offended, if that’s what you’re worried about. Sometimes the altitude affects people as well, so just take it easy for a few days, okay?” 

“Thanks,” Christen says sincerely, “I’m just feeling a little off, I guess.” 

“It happens,” Lauren says easily, “so, tomorrow you’ll meet some of the staff and let them know what information you need and go from there.”

“I’d like to tour the resort at some point,” Christen mentions. 

“Of course,” Lauren nods, “did you want to just wander on your own or have an escort?” 

“Maybe a little of both?” Christen offers, “Do I need some sort of I.D. for access or?” 

“Well, how about this,” Lauren considers, “would you mind doing your tour around to the public areas first and then I can get someone to escort you for the behind the scenes stuff?” 

“Perfect,” Christen nods, “not a problem.” She stands up, “Have a nice night, I’ll see you around tomorrow.” 

“Good night, Christen,” Lauren says, “hope you get some rest.” 

XXXX

Sunday, December 22nd 

“It’s very nice to meet you, Alex,” Christen shakes the blonde’s hand, “how long have you worked here?” 

“I’ve been in this position for five and half years,” Alex Morgan answers promptly, straightening the pen on her desk, looking up at Christen. 

“That’s awesome,” Christen comments, trying her best to set the woman at ease, “I’m interested in understanding your responsibilities, how the back end operates,” 

Alex eyes her, nodding slightly, “I perform the accounts payable and receivable duties, Holiday Resort is currently on a Net 30 payment with all of our suppliers.” She speaks with an even tone, although it’s guarded. “We are up to date on operational payments, payroll, insurance, taxes and the like.” 

“Okay,” Christen nods, shifting in her seat, “I know the holidays are coming up, would you have time to get me access to the year-end totals for the last three years?” 

“I can have them for you within the hour,” Alex replies coldly. “Would there be anything else you require?” she arches an eyebrow at her, her ice blue eyes blazing. 

“If I have any questions, would it be alright if I came to you?” Christen asks pleasantly, “I’m not going to lie to you, I am not familiar with the expenses and all that’s involved in running a resort,” 

“I’ll be off for Christmas and the day after,” Alex replies, “if you have questions, I’ll be here on Friday.” 

“Great,” Christen smiles, determined not to let her intimidate her, but it’s a little hard, this woman is looking at her very coldly. She hates when people feel so defensive when she comes on properties, so she really tries her best to set them at ease. 

“If that’s all you need, I’ll have it for you at the front desk in an hour.” Alex states, again giving Christen a death glare.

“That’s perfect,” Christen stands up, “if I don’t see you, I hope you have a very nice Christmas,” 

“You, too,” Alex replies shortly, clicking on her mouse and clearly done with this conversation. 

Christen leaves the small office and visibly shudders off the iciness of meeting Alex Morgan. She’s thankful she can check her off her list in her planner. She heads to the next door, knocking softly. 

“Come in,” a female says replies. 

Christen enters, a smile on her face. A woman in her forties with long dark blondish hair and a kind smile stands from her desk, “You must be Christen,” she greets, coming around her desk and shaking her hand, “my name is Christie and I run the youth programs, it’s nice to meet you.” 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Christen smiles, “do you have a few minutes to talk?” 

“Sure,” Christie nods, sitting down and gesturing to the chair across from her, “I need to leave in twenty minutes,” she says, “arts and crafts class starts soon,” 

“Okay,” Christen nods, “I won’t take up too much of your time,” she proceeds to interview Christie and they talk and chat right up until the time she has to leave. Christen follows her down the hall, the two still chatting. 

Christie is nice, patient and not at all bothered to speak with her. She agrees to get Christen the information she needs, she understands that she’s there to help improve the resort and doesn’t appear to have any qualms in accepting Christen. 

Christen is grateful for her, she wishes more staff will have her same outlook. 

“Oh, who do I see about learning how the equipment rentals work and who is the department head for your emergency services?” 

“Zach Ertz heads up all of the rental gear, you’ll find him in the Pro Shop, just go to the rental area and ask for him,” Christie replies, “and Dawn Scott is the head of security and emergency services. She has the best office,” she grins. 

“Where would I find her?” Christen asks, noting the names in her planner, looking up at Christie. 

Christie raises her index finger, “Take the lift up the mountain, she’s in the cabin at the top of the slope.” 

“Oh, wow!” Christen laughs, “I imagine that cabin has a view!” 

“Sure does,” Christie smiles, “just be sure to dress warm,” she eyes Christen’s thin leggings and designer sweater, “you know, the Pro Shop has some very warm clothes and they’re cute too,” she suggests. 

“I’ll check it out,” Christen smiles, thinking maybe her wardrobe isn’t as warm and rugged as the terrain and conditions demand. 

“See you later,” Christie says, smiling and heading out of the lobby. 

“Bye,” Christen nods, then biting her lower lip, this review process is going to take a different strategy, she considers. This isn’t a typical office area, there’s way too much activity going on for her to request a staff meeting, even a department head meeting would be iffy. I’ll have to adjust my planner, make it more flexible. She huffs a little, it’s going to take some time, I just hope people are more agreeable like Christie is and not as cold as Alex. 

“Hey Christen!” Emily greets, standing behind the check in desk, “How’s your day going?” 

“Pretty decent,” Christen replies, “you guys have so much happening, how do you ever have staff meetings?” 

“Ha!” Emily laughs, “Yeah, it’s hard to get everyone one together, especially when we’re in season and there’s fresh powder.” She sees Christen is actually looking for an answer, “So, uh, we usually have them around six in the morning, typically on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Those are slow mornings,” 

“Oh,” Christen nods, “cool,” she says, “thanks,” she leans up against the counter, thinking maybe she should switch things up a little, “hey,” she says, “have you ever done any of the spa treatments?” 

“You thinking of doing some?” Emily inquires, smiling broadly, “The spa is wonderful,” she says, “and I’m not just saying it because I work here,” she grabs a pamphlet from the counter, “the meditation class is amazing, if you’re looking for some serenity, the hot stone massage is so relaxing,” she shoves the pamphlet at her, “check it out,” 

“I will,” Christen nods, moving away from the desk upon seeing a group of people approach. She walks through the lobby slowly, her eyes glued to the descriptions of the many treatments. She lazily strolls towards the elevators, turning at the foyer. 

“Oof!” Christen breathes out, coming into contact with a solid form, then realizing she’s sprawled on the floor. 

“Oh, wow, are you alright?” a low female voice asks, “here, let me help you up,” the woman reaches down to help her up. 

“I got it,” Christen replies swiftly, burning with embarrassment, “I got it,” she violently shakes her hand off her. 

“Cool,” the woman murmurs, her eyes wide and hands up, palms forward in surrender. She’s looking at Christen as if she’s hesitant to speak more. 

“I’m sorry,” Christen apologizes, “I wasn’t watching where I was going,” 

“Uh, neither was I,” the admits sheepishly, giving Christen a little grin that makes her take a small step back. She’s beautiful, Christen thinks, taking in her high cheekbones, a cutting jawline, her straight white teeth and honey colored eyes. It’s the woman from the website. 

She sees the woman is speaking, but she’s not paying attention, not until the woman is looking at her with a concerned expression. She reaches out and touches Christen’s arm. 

“I asked if you were okay?” she repeats herself looking at her with concern, speaking in a low slow sexy drawl that is making Christen think of how she would sound in bed. 

“I am,” Christen flinches back, embarrassed once again, “sorry, I’m just,” she shrugs, “way too in my head,” 

“Oh,” the stranger gives her a smile, “if that’s the case” 

“I, uh, I gotta go,” Christen interrupts her, “thanks again,” she brushes past her, internally cursing herself and her inability to speak to this attractive woman and not act like an idiot. 

Miraculously, the elevator doors open as Christen swiftly approaches, issuing a silent prayer of thanks as she steps in and glances at the woman who is looking at her with an expression she can’t read. 

When she gets to her room, Christen is still unsettled, unable to shake off the mix of emotions she’s riding. 

She hears in her mind Kelley’s voice from Friday, ‘Have someone blow out the cobwebs from in between your legs,’ making her shake her head. 

She sighs and sits on the bed, opening the pamphlet again and then nodding. She finds the room phone and calls and makes an appointment. 

XXXX

Monday, December 23rd 

Christen awakes without knowing what time it is. Yesterday, she caught the last appointment for a massage and a hot stone treatment, then she went into the sauna and back to her room. She vegged out, ordering room service, impressed with the service, the food was still piping hot and delicious. 

She zoned out watching some documentary about Mt. Everest, not really paying attention but enough that she was tired after it was over. She went to bed early, after making notes to focus on interviewing more employees tomorrow in her planner.

She’s shocked to see it’s past eleven when she finds her phone and squints at it. “Fuck!” she curses, throwing the covers off and racing to the bathroom. She showers quickly, blow dries her hair and gets dressed. She spends some time applying make up and straightening her hair. Satisfied with her appearance, she nods at her reflection. 

“Let’s do this,” she says to herself. She flips open her day planner, frowning at the items she intended to do and missed because she overslept. 

Gathering her wool winter coat and a hat and a pair of gloves, she exits the room, intent on finding some breakfast and then heading up the mountain to visit with Dawn Scott. 

“I really need warmer clothes,” Christen mutters to herself as she trembles high above the ground, riding the ski lift. Her nose is running and she can feel the snot freezing on her upper lip. 

Her fingers are tingling while she has a death grip on the side handle and seat slat. She’s so distracted by her state of misery, she’s missing the scenery completely. 

With a deep sigh of relief, she takes the hand of a gracious lift worker, nodding as she walks swiftly away from the busy area. She stops about ten yards away, locating the cabin that’s painted a bright red with a large white cross. A First Aid sign is mounted above the door, a thin trail of white smoke lazily exiting the top of the chimney. 

She trudges across, stopping suddenly a few times from skiers yelling out at her. Feeling like she just completed a live action game of Frogger, Christen pauses to collect herself before entering the small building. There’s a picnic table to the side of it, a couple of chairs and tables spread on a small patio that’s cleared of snow. She edges over to it the area, wanting to avoid the skiers who kept yelling at her and brushing past her, sometimes nudging her shoulders. 

She notices two sets of skis leaning up against the building and a snowboard. She’s leaning against the picnic table, kicking her feet against the table to get feeling in them and blowing on her hands even though she’s wearing gloves. 

The door bursts open, a figure barreling out, letting the door slam shut behind her, removing an orange beanie and shoving it in her pocket. Christen realizes that it’s the snow angel woman from the other day. She smiles at the memory, watching as the woman adjusts the helmet, pulling on the chin strap, snapping on a large red back pack emblazoned First Aid on the back. 

She pulls the snowboard to the ground, stepping in and buckling up, glancing Christen’s way, her eyes showing a sign of recognition. 

“Hey,” she says hurriedly, giving her a head nod and a warm smile. 

Christen opens her mouth and is about to respond, but the woman turns and shoves off, gracefully moving through the skiers and heading down the mountain. 

Oh, my Lord, Christen thinks, angel girl is the same one from the elevator. Fuck, she probably thinks I’m an idiot. She sighs deeply, shaking her head at her luck. 

Determined to get something done correctly today, she pushes off the picnic table and marches to the building. She’s met with a blast of warm air that burns her cheeks and nose and she shuts the door behind herself. 

“Hi, can I help you?” a woman with a British accent asks, looking at her intently. 

“Yes,” Christen replies, “I’m looking for Dawn Scott?” 

“That would be me,” she smiles at her, “what can I do for you?” 

“I’m Christen Press,” she introduces herself, “I was wondering if there would be a good time to meet with you and review your operation so I can understand it better?” she removes her gloves and extends her hand. 

“Nice to meet you, Christen,” Dawn shakes her hand, “your hand is freezing, would you like a cup of tea?” 

Not normally a tea drinker but knowing something hot would do wonders for her slowly freezing internal organs, Christen agrees. 

Once seated at one of the highbacked wood chairs, the two discuss how the emergency services are provided. Dawn seems laid back and easy going, willingly sharing how things work and providing Christen valuable information that she jots down in her planner. 

“HQ this is TPH, over,” a radio crackles, Dawn raising an index finger at Christen and grabbing the radio. 

“TPH this is HQ, over,” she speaks into the radio. 

“On scene with a non-ambulatory female,” the radio squawks, “need a sled and ambo at base, over.” 

Dawn is nodding and typing on her computer, “Roger that, TPH. Status on patient, over?” 

“Female, seventeen, conscious with left lower leg injury, closed,” the voice states calmly, “superficial abrasions on face, possible right shoulder separation, over.” 

“TPH, location, over,” Dawn requests. 

“HQ, I’m fifty clicks down Red Slope, west side, over,” is the reply.

“TPH, HQ rogers that, over.” Dawn responds, then types something, her fingers quickly moving her keyboard. She takes the radio in her hand once more.

“ALL this is HQ, state your location, over.” Dawn calls into the radio, Christen watching with fascination. 

“HQ, this is ALL, I’m at the top of Red Slope, over,” 

“ALL, proceed with sled fifty clicks down on west side, rendezvous with TPH, over.” Dawn orders. 

“HQ, ALL rogers that, over and out,” 

“TPH this is HQ, ALL is on the way, over.” 

“HQ, TPH rogers that, thanks, over.”

“Wow!” Christen exclaims, “Do you need to go or something?” she’s half out of her chair, ready to leave Dawn to do whatever she needs. 

“Oh, no,” Dawn gestures for her to sit, “that was pretty routine, an ambulance will meet them at the base of the mountain, just a regular day, thankfully, not too serious.” 

“That’s pretty incredible,” Christen murmurs, not familiar with anything in rescue services. 

“Will you find some time to enjoy the slopes?” Dawn inquires, looking expectantly at her. 

“Oh, no,” Christen shakes her head, “I don’t ski, I like to hike though,” 

“If I may give you some unsolicited advice?” Dawn smiles, “You may want to hit the Pro Shop and purchase some boots that are more appropriate for these conditions,” 

Christen smiles, “I think it will be my next stop,” she stands, “it was very nice to meet you,” 

“Do you have breakfast plans tomorrow?” Dawn asks as she shakes her hand. 

“No, I don’t,” Christen shrugs. 

“Would you like to join me, say, around eight o’clock?” Dawn invites, “A group of us attend, maybe you’d like to meet more of our staff?” 

“That sounds wonderful,” Christen agrees, “thank you so much for inviting me.” 

“See you in the lobby, then?” 

“Certainly,” Christen moves to the door as the radio sounds off again, “eight sharp.” 

She braves the cold down the lift, thankful it’s a tailwind this time, but she’s still chattering when she enters the lodge. She makes a quick right and finds the Pro Shop, rubbing her hands together, taking in the surroundings. 

She meets Zach, who runs the whole shop, not just the rentals, a ridiculously nice and handsome man her age and she spends an equally ridiculous amount of money on clothing and boots and a new jacket that she’s been promised will keep her warm. 

By the time she’s completed her impromptu shopping experience, she’s starving and not looking forward to carrying the three large bags up to her room. I’m going to need to buy another suitcase, she thinks darkly. A brilliant thought enters her mind and she heads back to the lobby. 

“Hi, Emily!” she greets the red head.

“Christen, hey,” Emily grins at her, then eyes the bags in her hands, “get yourself hooked up with some new duds?” 

“I did,” Christen grins at her, there’s just something easy going and disarming about her, “do you think you can help me out?” 

“Sure,” Emily nods, “hit me,” 

“When you have time,” Christen begins. 

“You’d like this stuff brought up to your room? Yeah, no problem,” Emily gives her a wink, coming around from behind the desk to take the bags from her.

“Thank you so much,” Christen gushes, “I’m absolutely starving and I really wasn’t that keen on lugging this stuff up,” 

“Aren’t the prices decent for a Pro Shop?” Emily nods at her knowingly, “And cool stuff, too, huh?” 

“Yes, I was pleasantly surprised,” she observes the bags in Emily’s hands, “although, I may have over done it a bit,” 

Emily laughs, “Ah, you can never have too many warm clothes,” she walks back behind the desk, “I’ll see that these get up there pronto,” 

“Thank you very much,” Christen nods, “now, I need some food!” 

“The Asian soy salmon is out of this world today,” Emily offers.

“Ooh, that sounds good,” Christen agrees, “see ya,” 

“Later,” Emily replies, writing a delivery ticket for her items. 

After a very satisfying lunch, Christen returns to her room, unpacking the new clothes, thankful there’s a washer and dryer in her room. She buckles down and fires up her laptop and begins to work. She spreads out the papers that Alex had provided, reviewing and making notes on all of the departments. 

She’s so focused, she doesn’t realize the lighting has changed until it’s nearly six and her room is dark. She gets up from her desk, stretching the stiffness out of her body, walking to her room and looking out to see the mountain at night. 

She marvels at the mountain, the lit ski slope, the soft haze of fog. Movement close catches her eye, a lone figure walking towards the far cabin. Snow Angel girl, Christen’s lips curls into a smile. She watches as Snow Angel opens her door, chucking her orange backpack into the darkness and shutting the door again. 

Curious, Christen steps forward, crossing her arms and watches intently, tilting her head when sees the woman drop to her knees, looking up at the sky and then dropping her head down and burying it in her hands. She can’t be sure, but from her angle, it appears Snow Angel is crying, it looks like the letters on the back of her jacket are moving with heaving sobs. 

Feeling as if she’s intruding on a private moment, she takes a step back, but sees Snow Angel get to her feet, turning and wiping her eyes, confirming Christen’s suspicion. Her shoulders are slumped and she enters her cabin slowly, flicking on a light and shutting the door. 

Christen feels sadness flood her, reflecting on how upset the woman seems. She finds herself wondering what could be so awful it would have her dropping to her knees like that. She wonders if something awful happened on the mountain today. A serious injury possibly? She steps away from the window, feeling distracted by her thoughts. 

She decides to change her clothes and go down for dinner, maybe she’ll take a book with to read while she eats. The nagging sense of sadness for Snow Angel follows her for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks all for the encouraging words! It's much appreciated!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!


	3. An Unexpected Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen meets more of the staff and finally learns who Snow Angel is. She meets with Lauren and Alex to discuss some suspicious results in her review of the resort's business statements. 
> 
> That evening, she unexpectedly meets Tobin and they spend the evening together getting to know one another.

Tuesday, December 24th 

“Good morning Christen!” Emily calls out loudly as she enters the lobby. 

“Hi Emily, how are you this morning?” Christen replies with a smile. 

“Highly caffeinated, and you?” she looks at her with bright eyes and a grin. 

“Not there yet,” she says, looking around the lobby. She sees Dawn approaching with a smile. 

“Christen!” Dawn greets, “I’m so happy you’re joining us,” 

“So am I,” Christen agrees, thinking it would be very good to meet more staff. 

“Have fun, guys,” Emily calls out as she disappears behind the desk. 

Dawn leads her into the restaurant to a loud table of laughter that silences upon their arrival. 

Introductions are made as Christen sits down, meeting Zach again and Lauren and Christie. She’s introduced to Allie, Heather, Crystal and Ashlyn. She eyes Alex, who barely controls her glare at her and nudges the Snow Angel, who’s sitting next to her. Christen learns her name is Tobin. They share a shy smile and Tobin blushes and directs her gaze to her plate. 

For a quick second, Christen considers mentioning the snow angel incident, but seeing the nervous expression on Tobin’s face, she decides against it, not wanting Tobin to get teased by the others. 

“So, Christen,” Ashlyn says, “how did you become a consultant?” 

“My Father’s business, I worked there while I was in school and it just came naturally.” She replies, making sure to stay as close to the truth as possible. “What do you do here, Ashlyn?” 

“I give ski lessons during the day and some nights I DJ in the bar,” she replies with a grin. 

“That’s pretty cool,” Christen nods. 

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Ashlyn agrees with good natured laugh. 

“You come in to the bar,” Crystal says with a confident nod, “I’ll make you the best drink you’ve ever had,” 

“Yeah?” Christen raises her eyebrows, “Sounds good,”

A server approaches their table, offering coffee and then taking their orders. Christen notices that Dawn, Tobin and Christie are the only tea drinkers. The chatter begins to get broken up around the table, she’s sitting in between Lauren and Christie. She discreetly asks Lauren to meet with her for just a minute after breakfast as their food arrives to the table. 

Throughout the meal, she notices how Alex seems to be fawning over Tobin, casually touching her, speaking with her quietly and at one point, throwing an arm around her and pulling her in for a side hug. Allie’s on Tobin’s other side and she too occasionally leans over and speaks softly to the quiet woman. The others cast knowing glances their way but continue on in their conversations. 

“So, Christen,” Lauren says, a smile on her face, “has everyone been cooperating with you here?” she sends a playful glare at the table. 

“Oh, yes,” Christen nods, “everyone has been very helpful,” she says, “I’m beginning to get a picture of your operation,” 

“If you wanna hear the dirt on this place, you come to me!” Ashlyn laughs and Crystal smacks her arm. The table erupts in laughter at this. 

“Oh, you just going to tell her your life story, Ash?” Allie giggles. 

They begin to break up, needing to start their day. 

Tobin pauses as she slowly gets her jacket on, “Nice, nice to meet you, Christen,” she says nervously, looking down quickly to zipper up her coat. 

“You too, Tobin,” Christen smiles at her, waiting for her to look up. When their eyes meet, Tobin gives her a shy smile and moves away, looking back once as she departs. 

“You have a good one, Tobs,” Lauren says, “be safe on the slopes,” she stays in her seat, turning and looking expectantly at Christen. 

“Lauren,” Christen begins, “I was looking over most of the books last night and something’s off,” 

Lauren nods, “That’s what Alex was saying,” she says quietly. “Hang on,” she stands abruptly, leaving the table and comes back in seconds with Alex following her. Alex sits a chair away from Christen, a serious look on her face. 

“Christen sees what you saw,” Lauren says to Alex, “tell her what you think.” 

“I don’t know what to think,” Alex confesses, “I did an early review right before Thanksgiving to see how our year would look,” she explains, “everything on paper on our end seems to check out, we’re profitable, we pay our bills and salaries. But when I checked it to last year’s taxes, something wasn’t didn’t seem right.” 

Christen glances around at the busy restaurant, “Maybe we should take this somewhere more private.” 

The two women agree and after getting coffees to go, they leave the restaurant and head to Alex’s office.

Alex and Christen review the numbers again, both coming to the same conclusion. They both know something is wrong, but they can’t put their finger on what it is.

“We would’ve been nailed already if it was the taxes,” Alex laments, “I really don’t know what to think.” 

Christen nods, silently thinking. “The profit margins seem healthy,” she states, “something fishy is going on,” she turns to Lauren, “who is your accountant?” 

“Jill Ellis,” she replies, “she’s my Mom’s best friend and has done the books for them forever,” she explains, “I kept her on when I took over four years ago.” 

“Can you access your copies of your last seven years of tax returns on this place?” Christen asks, “It would be good to see some history from before you took over,” 

Alex nods, getting fired up, “Would it be helpful to look over the separate balance sheets on each department as well as the business as a whole?” 

“I didn’t think of that,” Christen nods slowly, “yeah, that would be outstanding.” 

“I’ll get it to you before the end of the day,” Alex promises, pausing and giving her a look, “sorry I was rude to you before,” 

“No problem,” Christen says sincerely, “I see it a bit when I come in to businesses,” she says, “but I appreciate the apology.” 

Alex gives her a smile, her blue eyes showing a lightness, “Good, let’s figure this out.” 

“Christen,” Lauren asks, concern in her voice, “do you have a suspicion of what’s going on?” 

“It’s too soon to tell,” Christen states, looking at both of them, “but I think I need to call in some help,” she says, “They’re even better than I am at crunching numbers,” she admits, “and I  
think this is above what I can figure out. It could be that money is simply moving into different accounts and isn’t being noted in a way we recognize.” 

“How many rooms do you want?” Lauren asks.

“I’ll let you know when I see how soon they can come,” Christen informs her. 

“Well,” Lauren says, “please consider having them come after Christmas,” she urges, “please don’t tear them away from their holidays with their families just for us.” 

Christen nods, “Right,” she says, forgetting completely about the holiday and stands, “I’ll let you know.” 

“Thanks, Christen,” Lauren says, giving a sad smile, “it would be nice to figure out what went wrong,” she says sadly, looking around her office.

“I’ll get back to you,” Christen promises, closing her planner and shoving it in her purse. 

As Christen walks briskly back to her room, a sense of purpose overcomes her. Something is wrong, terribly wrong with the financials of this place. She must find what it is, and possibly, if she can fix it, they won’t need to sell. She’d hate to have Lauren lose this place, it’s been in her family for three generations. It goes against her purpose for being here, but it goes with every sense of justice she has. She’d never be able to live with herself if she just ignored these discrepancies. She needs to get to the bottom of this. 

She’s glad Alex has warmed up to her, completely understanding her actions and behavior from before. She doesn’t suspect she has anything to do with how the reports are off. It’s just a gut instinct and she hopes she’s right. Hopefully, an answer can be found. 

XXXX

“Merry Christmas Eve!” Kelley’s voice rings out.

“Hey, Kel,” Christen grins into her laptop, seeing her best friend’s smiling face. 

“How’s it going?” she asks, looking at her devilishly, “You bag any babes yet?” 

Christen shakes her head, “No, I haven’t,” she says, but then looks up and smirks, “not yet, anyway.” 

“That’s the spirit!” Kelley cheers, then grows serious. “So, what’s going on?” 

Just then, Julie’s face pops onto the screen, “Hi!” she greets, “What’s happening? Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Christen says, “I didn’t mean to alarm you guys,” she frowns, “something fishy is going on here and I can’t figure it out.” 

“You think they’re cooking the books?” Kelley’s eyes narrow, they’ve seen it before. 

“No,” Christen shakes her head, “at least, not anyone here is.” 

“An accountant? Tax preparer?” Julie asks. 

“Possibly?” Christen questions, “I need you guys to check it out, but very hush hush. As consultants.” 

“Awesome!” Kelley hollers, “I’ll bring my snowboard,” she looks down at her phone, “uh, flying in to Portland?” 

“Yes,” Christen nods, “Oregon, not Maine.” 

“There’s a flight for me on the 26th that lands at three,” Julie comments, she’s looking off screen as well. 

“Same here, lands at three fifteen,” Kelley nods, “I’ll book the car, Jules.” 

“Flight booked,” Julie looks up and smiles, “Any hunky ski instructors out there?” 

Christen thinks of Zach and a smile crosses her face, “Maybe,” she nods. 

“Hot chicks?” Kelley looks at her with a hopeful expression. 

“Yup,” 

“We’ll see you in forty-eight hours, Chris,” Julie smiles, “have a Merry Christmas,” 

“You, too, Jules, and thanks so much.” Christen says heartfully. 

“Okay,” Kelley nods at her, “get whatever you can for us ready and we’ll figure this out,” 

“I will, Merry Christmas, Kel,” 

“Same to you, Press, love ya,” Kelley says and they sign off. 

Christen leans back in her chair, grateful the two were so willing to come and help. She calls down to Lauren and asks her to hold two rooms, giving her Kelley and Julie’s names. She also asks if they have a space available where they could all work together as a group and Lauren tells her she’ll figure out something. 

She spends the rest of the morning sorting the documents she has into neat piles on her desk and the countertop. Yeah, she thinks, we’ll definitely need some more space for this. 

She nearly drops the papers in her hands at the sound of a knock on her door. She swings it open to find Alex, raising her eyes at her. 

“Christen?” she asks carefully, looking at her intently. 

“Oh, yeah, hi,” Christen says, shaking her head, “I was organizing,” she explains, “and the knock…”

“Broke you out of your zone?” Alex grins at her, holding up a stack of files, “I know how that goes, sorry.” 

“Oh, it’s okay,” Christen says, accepting the files in her arms, “is this everything?” 

“Yeah,” Alex nods, “and I kind of got to thinking, so I brought over every department’s balances for the last seven years as well,” she pauses for a moment. “Are you thinking Ellis is skimming?” 

“I don’t know what to think, although that would be the obvious suspect,” Christen replies, “but let’s keep that on the down low, I don’t want to arouse suspicion,” 

“Got it,” Alex nods, “okay, I’ll see you in a couple of days and we’ll get this sorted.” 

“Thanks,” Christen nods, “have a Merry Christmas, Alex,” 

“You too,” Alex nods back at her, “what are you doing tonight?” 

“Ah, dinner, maybe watch a movie or read,” Christen replies, setting the heavy stack down on a chair. 

“You know,” Alex says, leaning against the doorjamb and crossing her arms, “the staff that stays for the holidays usually hangs out in the bar after nine,” she says, “they sing bad karaoke, have a few drinks and some laughs,” she looks at her, “you should go.” 

“Ah, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Christen backs off, unsure she should. 

“It’s open to the public,” Alex persists, “I mean, the bar’s open, everyone is just hanging out,” she explains, “you should go,” she says, encouraging her with a softness in her raspy voice, “no one should be alone at Christmas,” 

Her statement makes Christen pause, her mouth slightly open, then she nods, “Yeah, you’re right,” she agrees, “I think I will stop by,” she says, determined to put herself out of her comfort zone and try something new. 

This pleases Alex who smiles widely at her, “Good,” she says, “you’ll have fun, I promise.” 

“Thanks for letting me know,” Christen says, “I’ll see you later,” 

“Bye,” Alex waves and heads down the hall. 

Christen thinks maybe she should go, it would be nice to just get away from this for a little bit. Go have a few drinks, listen to some bad karaoke, who knows, it could be fun. Maybe Tobin will be there, she considers, she smiles to herself, yeah, I’m going. I’d definitely like to meet her. 

She finds that Alex organized all the papers perfectly for her, smiling to herself for not having to do this all over again. She sets everything together and packs it up to move to whatever space Lauren has for them to work in. 

She decides to change for dinner and takes an unusually long time selecting her wardrobe and making sure her hair is perfectly straight. She realizes she wants to see Tobin, maybe they could finally have a conversation and maybe she won’t be tongue tied in front of her. The woman intrigues her. 

Feeling good because she looks good, Christen grabs her smaller purse and makes sure she has her room key, wallet, phone and her book and heads down to the lodge restaurant, happy to have found the correct indoor path from her room to the lobby. Her heels click on the hardwood floor as she exits the elevator, striding across the lobby to the entry of the restaurant. She’s hungry, having only nibbled on fruit from the gift basket in the room and a package of almonds she had in her purse.

To her surprise, she sees Tobin standing near the empty hostess station, holding a book in her hand and biting her lower lip as she looks aimlessly around the room. 

“Hi,” Christen says as she approaches her, suddenly feeling shy. 

“Hi,” Tobin greets, giving her a small smile, “how was your day?” 

“It was good,” Christen nods, “yours?” 

“I wasn’t busy and that’s a good thing,” she says, “I work for the Ski Patrol,” she explains with a shrug, “so it’s a good day when nobody gets hurt badly,” 

“Well, that’s wonderful,” Christen smiles, “what are you reading?” She asks, thinking it would be a good conversation starter. 

Tobin looks down at the book in her hand, she holds it up for Christen to read the title. It’s The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom. She shrugs, “I read it once a year around this time,” she says quietly. 

Christen nods, noting the sadness in her tone and seeing the sorrow in her eyes. 

“What about you?” Tobin inquires politely, looking at the book in her hand. 

Christen quirks her mouth, giving her a tight smile as she holds it for her to see. 

She watches as a smile spreads across Tobin’s face as she reads the title, “Finding Yourself?” she questions, tilting her head slightly, “Sounds deep,” 

“So does yours,” Christen replies softly. They look at each other, both wearing soft smiles and their eyes searching another. 

“Table for two?” the hostess asks as she returns to her station, looking expectantly at them. 

“Oh, um,” Tobin looks quickly at the woman and then Christen, swallowing hard, “would you like to” 

“Sure,” Christen agrees, interrupting her in her eagerness.

Tobin smiles wider at her and then nods to the hostess, “Yes, please,” she says. 

Christen’s eye crawl over Tobin’s body as she follows her through the restaurant, noting her thin frame, long legs and amazing ass. She’s wearing a pair of tight dark jeans, black boots, a simple black v-neck sweater and her brown hair is long and even though it looks like she let it air dry it looks amazing. She makes casual dress look so sexy, Christen thinks. 

Tobin pauses and raises her eyebrows at Christen gestures, offering her the first choice of seating. Christen smiles and sits down across from her. 

“This view is amazing,” Christen comments as she settles in her seat glancing at her and then out the window, placing her napkin on her lap. 

Tobin nods, “I love how they put up the Christmas lights throughout the paths,” she smiles, “it just seems, like, kind of magical, you know?” 

Christen looks at the lights strewn along the path, they’re moving slightly in the wind, twinkling and a bit blurry from the light fog. “It does,” she agrees with a smile. 

“Have you eaten here before?” Tobin asks, taking a sip of her water. 

“Yes, I had the Asian salmon the other day and it was amazing,” Christen replies, scanning the menu and then looking up at her, “any recommendations?” 

“Well, if you’re a meat eater,” she says, “I would suggest the prime rib,” she smiles, “Lauren’s Mom, Mrs. Cheney, comes in and makes it every Christmas Eve, it’s amazing,” 

“Sounds perfect.” Christen nods and closes her menu and reaches for her water glass, seeing the wine menu. “Would you like to split a bottle of wine?” 

“Sure,” Tobin agrees, “do you like red?” she questions. 

“Absolutely,” Christen nods once again. 

“The Malbec here is terrific, if I say so myself,” Tobin says with a shrug, “it’s from a local winery, you can try a taste first if you’d like,” 

“Sounds perfect,” Christen smiles again, “Malbec is one of my favorites,” 

“Cool,” Tobin bobs her head, “so, Christen, are you from around here?” she asks and then cringes, “That sounded so cheesy, sorry,” 

A giggle escapes Christen’s mouth, “No, it’s fine,” she chuckles, “it’s an honest question and you weren’t leering at me like you were trying to pick me up.” 

Tobin’s eyes go wide, “I, uh, I wasn’t , I , um,” she’s stuttering, completely flustered, her eyes darting everywhere, “I wasn’t, uh, trying to be a sleaze or anything,” she says, hurriedly, “I don’t want you to think I try to hook up with the guests here or something,” She’s looking down, nervously picking at her silverware. Christen can see the tips of her ears are red with embarrassment. 

“Tobin,” Christen says quietly, leaning forward, “hey, it’s okay,” she says, watching Tobin lift her head to look at her, “I’d be flattered if you were,” she smiles at her, “really.” 

She watches as the panic leaves Tobin’s eyes, intrigued at how expressive they were to her. Tobin gives her a wry grin, “But you don’t swing that way,” she says quietly, quirking her mouth a little.

“As a matter of fact,” Christen smiles, “I do,” 

Tobin smiles at her and then the server comes to the table to take their orders. Once she departs, Tobin swallows and speaks, “Uh, honestly, I don’t really do this,” she admits with a shrug, seeing Christen look confused, “ask a stranger to dinner,” she explains, “but it’s Christmas Eve and no one should be alone, so I just thought…” 

“I thought it was really nice,” Christen soothes, “and I’m very glad you asked.” 

“Yeah?” Tobin raises her eyebrows in surprise.

“Yeah,” Christen nods, “so, what do you say we do the whole where are you from and where you went to school thing while we wait for our meal?” She smiles at her, happy to see the woman across the table from her finally begin to relax. 

“Sure,” Tobin nods, “you first,” she gives her a little nod. 

By the time their plates come out, Tobin has Christen laughing from some of her college stories of her time playing soccer at UNC. Christen never came out and exactly stated her position in her Father’s company, just that she acts as a consultant and wants to help the Holiday Resort. 

Conversation flows easily between the two, finding they share many of the same interests. Tobin persuades her to share a dessert before they are even halfway through their meal. 

“How can you even think of dessert while you’re still eating?” Christen questions, looking at her curiously. 

“Well, ya gotta hold back and save some room,” Tobin informs her as if it’s the most practical thing in the world, “you like chocolate?” she questions her. 

“Yes, of course I do,” Christen laughs, “I mean, who doesn’t?” 

“Well,” Tobin draws the word out, “I just met you, so I really wouldn’t know, would I?” she grins at her. 

“Right,” Christen agrees, “we haven’t gotten that far yet in our discussion.” 

“Is everything okay here,” their server stops by, “can I get you anything?” 

Tobin looks up, grin still on her face, “Marcy, can we order a chocolate box?” 

“Sure, Tobin,” Marcy agrees, “I’ll put it in now,” 

“Thanks,” Tobin smiles at her, “Christen here has never had one,” 

“Oh, well,” Marcy smiles at Christen, “you’re in for a real treat then,” 

“Yeah?” Christen asks, looking between her and Tobin. 

“Oh, yes,” Marcy gushes, “I’ve put on ten pounds because of that stupid dessert!” She laughs and walks away. 

“It’s that good, huh?” Christen questions Tobin. 

“Maybe better than sex,” Tobin grins, and then slaps her forehead, “sorry,” she mutters, “I can be such an idiot.” 

Christen giggles, “Don’t be,” she assures her, “although, I have some pretty high standards in both departments.” 

“Huh?” Tobin looks confused. 

“Sex and chocolate.” Christen explains with a smirk, eying Tobin lustily, “I have high expectations.” She says, dropping her voice low.

Tobin swallows the lump in her throat, her mouth suddenly dry, “Noted,” she rasps, reaching for her water and chugging it. 

Christen finds her embarrassment adorable and so incredibly attractive. She decides to clear the air and takes a breath. “You know,” she says quietly, “I haven’t really dated in a while,” she admits, “I was in a four year relationship and she left me last year.” 

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry,” Tobin’s forehead crinkles with her words. 

“No, actually,” Christen shakes her head, “I deserved it, I put work before her and she stayed for as long as she could and I wasn’t able to give her what she needed. I blame myself,” she says, then she taps her book, “hence the book,” she shrugs. 

Tobin nods, biting her lower lip, “I haven’t been with anyone in two years,” she says quietly, nervously, “um, I, uh,” she takes a deep breath, “my girlfriend passed away.” 

“Oh God, Tobin, I’m so sorry,” Christen says, shocked by this. 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “so, I haven’t really dated either and I’m not a one night stand kind of person, really,” she admits, “and well,” she shrugs, “hence my book,” 

Christen nods at her, “I’m really sorry to hear that,” she says genuinely, “I can’t imagine what it was like to go through something like that.” 

“Yeah,” Tobin sighs, “it was pretty awful,” she nods, “but, I guess I’m slowly learning to live again, like to be able to laugh and stuff,” 

“It has to be hard sometimes, I’m sure,” Christen murmurs.

Tobin shrugs, “Sorry to be a downer,” she says quietly, looking at her plate. 

“Hey,” Christen reaches her hand across the table and touches Tobin’s forearm, “please don’t apologize,” she says sincerely, “we’ve just met and we’re sharing our lives and about what makes us who we are,” she says, watching as Tobin slowly lifts her head to look at her, “and sometimes there’s things we aren’t proud of ourselves that happened,” she states, speaking of her own life, “or there are tragedies in our lives and that’s also something that shapes who we are.” 

Tobin nods and flicks her finger under her eye, wiping away a tear, “Okay,” she breathes out, “that’s sort of another thing,” she says, “my therapist says I don’t speak about it enough and I internalize things,” she sniffs, now taking the napkin to wipe her eyes. 

Christen lays her hand on top of Tobin’s squeezing it gently, “I know just met, but if you ever want to talk, I’m all ears,” she offers.

“Thanks,” Tobin smiles sweetly at her, “you’re a very good listener,” 

“So are you,” Christen admits, “I feel like I can talk to you about anything,” she says honestly, looking at Tobin before she picks up her fork and starts eating again. 

Tobin’s smile broadens, “Me too,” she says as she begins to eat as well.

“Now,” Christen grins at her, happy that Tobin’s smiling again, “there’s something I really want to talk to you about. It’s very serious.” 

Tobin nods, growing solemn, “Okay,” 

“What are the chances I can get Mrs. Cheney’s recipe for this prime rib?” she asks cheekily. “It’s amazing!” 

Tobin laughs out loud throwing her head back, smiling all the way through it and it does something to Christen’s heart. 

“There’s no chance,” she says, the laughter still with her, “I don’t think she’s given it to Lauren yet,” 

“Well, that’s sucks,” Christen says flatly, letting out an exaggerated sigh, “guess I’ll just have to keep coming here for Christmas Eve,” 

“Guess so,” Tobin says, holding Christen’s gaze. Again, they look at each other with growing smiles on their faces. 

They both jump when they hear Tobin’s name being called. 

“Ma Rita!” Tobin exclaims as a woman approaches their table, Tobin standing up and giving her a hug, “I’d like you to meet Christen,” she politely introduces her. 

“Hi, Christen,” the woman greets, “Merry Christmas,” 

“Merry Christmas to you, too, Mrs. Cheney. 

“Tobin, I had Lauren make sure the piano is in tune and I made them bring it in the bar,” Mrs. Cheney informs her, “I expect to hear you sing tonight,” 

“Yes, Ma’am,” Tobin nods.

“And you know what I want to hear, right?” she pursues. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Tobin nods again, 

“Wonderful!” Mrs. Cheney smiles at her, “Enjoy the rest of your meal and I’ll see you later,” she says, putting her hand on Tobin’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze, “nice to meet you  
Christen.” 

“You as well, Mrs. Cheney,” Christen replies. 

Christen watches as Mrs. Cheney stops by multiple tables, greeting people, many who stand up and hug her. “How long did they own this place?” she asks Tobin. 

“Forever,” Tobin replies, “her parent’s owned it before then, and her great grandparents before them,” 

“Wow,” Christen says softly, feeling a pang of guilt, shaking her head, “that’s impressive,” 

“Yeah,” Tobin agrees, “you want to hear something funny?” 

“Sure,” Christen smiles at her.

“Lauren’s husband’s last name is Holiday.” Tobin grins. “Isn’t that crazy?” 

“For real?” Christen questions, “Come on!” 

“No, it is,” Tobin insists, “she met Jrue Holiday in college and they got married a few years ago,” 

“So, this place isn’t named after family?” Christen questions. 

“Nope,” Tobin shakes her head, “they just celebrate all of the holidays here.” 

“That’s really neat,” Christen grins. 

“Okay,” Tobin announces, pushing her plate back, “that’s enough for me,” there’s hardly anything left on the plate Christen notices. 

“Me, too,” Christen agrees, feeling just a bit full, “I want to save some room,” 

“Awesome!” Tobin smiles at her, “I think you’ll love it,” she says. 

“Hope so,” Christen grins at her mischievously, “high expectations and all,” she teases. 

“It will exceed them,” Tobin predicts, leaning back in her seat with confidence. 

They’re both feeling the second glass of wine, so what comes out her mouth next just comes out, “I hope it does in the other department,” Christen winks at her. 

Tobin gives her a cocky grin, “Exceed, babe,” she smirks, making a fist and blowing on her knuckles. 

Christen bursts into laughter, Tobin joining her. 

Marcy returns with the small rectangular box of chocolate, she sets it down and clears their plates away, leaving two spoons. 

“Coffee?” she asks amid their chuckles. 

“I’ll stay with this,” Tobin holds up her wine glass, then reaches for the bottle, looking expectantly at Christen.

“I’ll go with the wine as well,” she says, “thanks Marcy.” 

Christen smiles as Tobin pours her a half of glass of wine and then finishes the bottle in her glass, which is also about half. 

Christen raises her glass, her eyes dancing as she looks at Tobin. She nods at her and Tobin lifts her glass. 

“To expectations,” Christen says with a smile, watching Tobin smile back, “To exceeding them,” Tobin replies. 

“Let’s hit this,” Christen says, twirling her spoon. 

“You crack it open,” Tobin insists, “gently, on the end, and the chocolate mousse will come out,” 

Christen follows her instructions, carefully breaking open the side of the box, watching as the light foamy dessert slowly spills out on the plate. Tobin wiggles her eyes at her, “Go ahead,” she urges, nodding her head, watching her anxiously. 

Christen takes the first spoonful, letting the mousse sit on her tongue, enjoying the taste. She moans softly as she swallows, closing her eyes, and sighing. When she opens them, she sees Tobin watching her, her mouth slightly open, her eyes blazing. 

Christen gives her a lazy smile, “It’s _sooo_ good,” she says, her voice low and sultry, enjoying the show she’s giving Tobin. “You should have some,” she insists seductively, licking her spoon slowly. 

“Uh, uh, yeah,” Tobin nods, breaking out from staring at Christen, moving her slightly shaking hand to break off the chocolate and mix the piece with the mousse. She brings the spoon slowly to her mouth, then flashes a smirk at her, running her tongue along her lower lip seductively before biting it and then slowly letting the spoon enter her mouth. She swirls the spoon around, issuing a soft low moan, closing her eyes as she licks the spoon as it leaves her mouth. She opens her eyes as she lowers the spoon, her eyes sparkling dangerously. 

Christen licks her lips as she watches, the dessert forgotten, holding her loaded spoon in mid air. 

“You’re right,” Tobin says quietly, leaning forward intimately, “it is good,” she smiles at her. 

Christen just chuckles, “You’re something else,” she says. 

“You started it,” Tobin argues with a grin.

“Can we just eat this?” Christen asks, “I saved room for this and I want to finish it,” 

Tobin laughs softly, “Of course,” she brings her spoon in to take another piece. 

Tobin insists on signing the check, saying she invited Christen to be her guest and it was only fair. Christen counters that she would like to take Tobin to dinner to even the score. Tobin agrees and the two are off. 

“So,” Tobin says as they stand in the lobby, it’s just nine-thirty, “would you like to join me with the others in the bar?” she asks hopefully. 

“I do,” Christen smiles, her mind had been made up before she arrived for dinner. 

“Awesome,” Tobin smiles at her, her eyes brightening, “let’s go,” 

They take a couple of steps when Tobin stops abruptly, “Hey, let me have your book,” she insists, “I’ll set them behind the desk,” 

“Oh,” Christen hands it to her, “good idea,” she smiles. 

Tobin leans over the counter, unwittingly giving Christen a fantastic view of her ass, drops the books on the desk and comes back to her side. 

“Let’s go, yeah?” she asks, nodding at her. 

“Let’s go,” Christen laughs as they walk. 

“There she is!” Ashlyn cheers as they enter the bar, “Come and do a shot with me, Tobs!” 

“Ah, I’m gonna pass, Ash,” Tobin shakes her head, “I’ve been drinking wine and I don’t want to be spewing everywhere tomorrow.” 

“You’re working?” Ashlyn asks looking at her with horror.

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “gotta stay somewhat sober tonight,” 

“Dude,” Ashlyn says sadly, “I was looking forward to getting you so trashed,” 

Christen chuckles softly, wondering what a trashed Tobin was like. 

“How’s it going Christen?” Allie asks, leaning close to her, “You came here with Tobin?” she questions. 

Christen nods, “We had dinner together,” she states. 

Allie’s eyes open a bit wider at this information, she covers it, but Christen notices, “Oh, cool,” she nods casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal or anything. Christen’s grateful for it, she doesn’t want her or Tobin to be teased about it. 

After greeting the rest of the group, Christen feels Tobin lightly touch her elbow, “Would you like something to drink? Another glass of wine or something else?” 

“Wine would be great, thanks,” Christen says, “actually, let me get it, what do you want?” 

Tobin opens her mouth to protest but pauses and nods and then says, “Another glass of the Malbec would be great, thanks,” 

When Christen returns holding two glasses, she sees Tobin being hugged by Lauren, Lauren whispering in her ear. She pauses, Heather noticing and touching her arm to ask her about her night. 

Tobin approaches her a few moments later, giving her a smile and silently mouthing thanks to her as Heather is speaking about last Christmas here. 

Tobin sets her glass on the table and disappears for a moment, coming back with a chair for Christen and gestures for her to sit. She retrieves one for herself and sits down, her shoulder touching Christen’s due to their close proximity. 

Christen doesn’t move, enjoying the warmth that Tobin radiates. She gives her a smile and then watches as a female walks up to the small stage. 

“Okay,” she says, holding a microphone and scanning the crowd, “tonight we start Karaoke, books are on the table and hand in your papers to Ash at the DJ booth. If you want to play the piano or a guitar, write that down and give it to Ash with the song name as well,” she grins at everyone, “Oh, all Christmas songs will begin at eleven, okay?” 

Heather leans over, shouldering Christen, “Tobin,” she calls out, “I put you in already,” she informs her, then she eyes Christen, “you’re in for a treat,” 

“Yeah?” Christen arches an eyebrow, curious. 

“Tobin sings twice a year, more sometimes if we get her really tipsy, so tonight is special.” She says knowingly. 

“Cool,” she elbows Tobin, “I can’t wait,” Tobin just grins and shakes her head. 

“The woman should just play here, like, every night,” Heather insists, nodding quickly. 

Christen raises her eyebrows at Heather’s praises, glancing to see Tobin blushing. 

They casually chat, Lauren joining them at the small high table, standing and chatting with them, both Tobin and herself nursing their wine. After a few minutes, Tobin excuses herself and comes back with two glasses of water and sets one down for Christen and takes a drink for herself. 

Soon, Tobin’s name is called and the bar erupts from their area where her coworkers are cheering her on. Tobin flashes Christen a nervous smile and then makes her way to the piano, adjusting the microphone and running her fingers along the keys as a quick warm up. 

“We’re gonna slow it down before we move into the Christmas songs,” Tobin’s voice comes through the speakers low and sultry, Christen wiggling in her chair a little in anticipation. “How about a little Lady Gaga before we get our holiday cheer on?” The bar yells in approval. 

Tobin leans back on the bar stool, takes a deep breath and begins. 

Christen is mesmerized watching Tobin play and sing, she seems so natural at it, her voice on the lower scale, strong and powerful, especially for a song like Million Reasons. She finds herself singing along with just about everyone else in the bar, singing the chorus loudly as Tobin encourages them. 

Tobin makes her way back to her seat, shyly smiling and nodding to those she passes who offer praise to her. She sits down, Christen can feel how Tobin is trembling, watching closely as she her hand slightly tremors as she takes her glass of water and drinks from it. 

Tobin sends her a shy smile, her eyes only briefly making contact with Christen’s then she reaches for her wine glass and takes a sip. 

Christen leans over, “That was wonderful,” she says in Tobin’s ear, her lips just touching her, seeing Tobin shudder from the contact.

“Thanks,” Tobin nods, turning to look at her, “you gonna sing?” 

“Me?” Christen asks, surprised, “Oh, no,” she laughs, “there’s no way I’d be able to get up there,” 

Tobin smiles, “It’s not that bad, you know,” she says nudging her.

“It’s a scary thing to do,” Christen states, “to be vulnerable in front of a room full of people,” she says, bringing her glass to her lips and looking at her, “it takes a special person to do that,” she finishes quietly. 

Tobin just leans closer to her, slightly shrugging and smiling more broadly, “So, I’m supposed to sing two more songs,” she says, “but this thing breaks up around midnight,” 

“Okay,” Christen nods, “this is fun,” she says eagerly, truly enjoying herself, “everyone here is really nice,” she adds sincerely. 

“Good,” Tobin smiles, pleased with Christen’s response, showing her straight white teeth, “I’m glad you’re having fun.” 

Christen grabs Tobin’s arm and snuggles against her, “I am,” she smiles and nods. 

There’s a small commotion when Mrs. Cheney enters the bar and Lauren excuses herself from their table and joins her and is chatting quietly with those around her. Christen catches Tobin smiling at the table, a wistful look on her face. She realizes there’s so much about her she doesn’t know, but she’s interested in finding out. 

She’s thankful that Tobin is polite enough not to ask her why she’s alone here for Christmas and she is grateful for not having to explain it right now. She’s curious herself why Tobin isn’t with her own family either. She figures if they get to know each other more, they’ll both share their stories. 

They laugh hysterically as Emily does a rambunctious version of Santa Baby that has the bar in an uproar, Lauren and Allie sing a playful All I Want For Christmas and Heather belts out I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus complete with dramatic expressions that leaves everyone laughing. 

When Ash takes the stage to sing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Tobin quickly turns to Christen. 

“Do you dance?” she asks, looking at her with a mix of nervousness and some expectantly. 

“Sure,” Christen replies with a shrug.

“Like, can you partner dance?” Tobin clarifies.

“Yeah, I have,” she nods. 

Tobin smiles at her, feeling a surge of confidence, extends a hand to her, “Would you like to dance with me?” 

“I’d love to,” Christen smiles, taking her hand and standing up. Tobin leads her to the crowded dance floor, taking her in arms and leading her in a fun swing style dance, twirling her around the floor, people clearing out and giving them space. 

Christen is laughing and smiling and feeling dizzy with joy and she’s never been so happy as she is right now. This is fun. This is letting your hair down. This is living. And seeing this beautiful, smiling woman holding her and leading her around in the fun makes her thankful she’s here to experience it. 

Zach steps up to the microphone when the song ends, Tobin and Christen linger on the dance floor. When he begins to sing I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Tobin begins to move slowly, their hands still in a classic position, with one hand on Christen’s hip, the other holding her hand. Christen’s hand is within hers, her other hand on Tobin’s shoulder. 

Christen steps closer, moving her hand from Tobin’s shoulder and wrapping it around the back of her neck. Tobin moves her free hand and cautiously brings it around Christen’s back. They dance close without speaking, just enjoying the closeness. 

They stay together when the song ends, pulling back slightly to smile at each other. 

“Alright, Tobs,” Ash calls, “you’re up to finish the night,” 

Tobin gives Christen a wry grin, shakes her head and leads her back to her seat. She takes a quick drink of her water, “I’ll be back,” she says, taking a deep breath and then heading to the stage. 

She slides onto the piano seat, adjusting the microphone and giving the crowd a smile. “Nobody turns down a request from Mrs. Cheney,” she begins, “so I’ll be playing two songs to wrap things up tonight. Feel free to help me out and sing along if you’d like.” 

She moves her head from the microphone, clearing her throat and then places her hands over the keys. She takes a deep breath and begins. 

Christen watches mesmerized, once again, as Tobin skillfully plays, slowly realizing she is playing O, Holy Night. As her voice fills the room, she feels Heather lean over, and whisper in her ear, “You know, Christmas is hard for her,” she says, “she told you about her girlfriend, right?” 

“Yeah,” Christen replies, not taking her eyes off Tobin, “she did,” she nods. 

“Her nephew died that day too,” Heather says quietly, “two days ago was the two year anniversary of it and it’s fucked up her relationship with her family ever since.” 

Christen turns to her, her eyes wide, “Oh, no,” she breathes out, “that’s awful,” she says, turning back to look at Tobin, singing so beautifully. That explains her unusual behavior outside her cabin the other day, she thinks. 

Heather nudges her once more, looking at her seriously, “Don’t hurt her,” she says firmly. 

“I don’t intend to,” Christen replies just as seriously, holding Heather’s gaze. Heather’s face softens and a small apologetic smile appears, “Sorry,” she says sheepishly, “I’ve had a bit to drink and it’s just that she’s my best friend and she’s been through a lot, you know?” She tilts her head at her, a hopeful expression on her face. 

Christen gives her a small smile, “Apology accepted,” she says quietly, “you’d be a bad best friend if you didn’t say that. We just met and had dinner, we’ll see how it goes.” 

Heather just nods and turns her attention back to the stage. 

Christen thinks about what Heather said, it doesn’t bother her too much, because truthfully, there’s nothing going on that would hurt either of them. She understands why she said it,  
Heather actually reminds her of Kelley, being protective. She doesn’t hold it against her, if anything, it makes her glad Tobin has such good friends. 

She leans back into the chair, a smile on her face, enjoying watching Tobin. There’s a thin hum of people singing along with her, Christen’s eyes scan the crowd, seeing all of the smiles. Her chest tightens a little seeing Lauren holding her Mom as they sing together, wishing she still that type of closeness with her own mother. Her eyes travel back to Tobin, watching as she concentrates on the finish to the song. 

Christen stands up, applauding, joined by the others, impressed so much with her. She sits back down and takes a drink of her water, sending a smile to Heather. 

“So,” Tobin breathes, smiling out into the bar, “let’s head out of here tonight with a smile on our faces and a song in our hearts. Feel free to sing along,” 

She begins the distinctive chords of Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, smiling as she plays. 

The while crowd sings with her, loud and boisterous, some people leaving their seats and heading out into the night. When Tobin finishes, she’s met by Ash, who lifts her off her feet in a bear hug, spinning her around. She sets her down, speaking to her for a moment and then they embrace again. She gets stopped by Lauren, Mrs. Cheney, and the others, Tobin glancing in between at Christen to make sure she’s still there. 

Christen stands up as Allie hugs her and wishes her a Merry Christmas before leaving and Heather does as well. She’s talking with Heather when Tobin approaches, Heather hugging her and wishing her a good night. 

It’s just the two of them at the table, Tobin drinking the end of her water and then looking at Christen. “Did you have a good time?” 

“I did,” Christen smiles warmly, “I’m really glad I came tonight,” 

“So am I,” Tobin agrees quietly, “you ready to go?” 

“Yeah,” Christen sighs, “I’m a little tired and you have to work,” They begin to walk out of the bar, once in the lobby, Tobin grabs Christen’s book and hands it to her. 

“Uh,” Tobin says quietly, “would it be okay if I walked you to your room?” 

“I would like that,” Christen nods, “it’s this way,” 

They walk to the elevator, Christen pressing the button, “I’m sorry about the other day,” she says abruptly, “I didn’t mean to be rude when we collided,” 

“It’s okay,” Tobin says graciously, “you looked like you had a lot on your mind,” 

The doors open and they enter the small space. “I did,” Christen replies, “but that doesn’t excuse my behavior,” 

“It’s cool,” Tobin nods at her, leaning back against the wall. She pops up when the door opens, following Christen out and down the hall. 

Tobin nervously clears her throat as they walk, “Uh, what are your plans tomorrow?” 

“Nothing really,” Christen shrugs, “just relaxing, I guess.” 

“Would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow?” Tobin asks nervously. 

“I would love you,” Christen smiles, “what’s Christmas like here?” 

“Well, typically just a normal day,” Tobin explains, relaxing a little, “I’m working day shirt but there’s a nice dinner and after we sing some Christmas carols and then do whatever,” 

“Do you lead the crowd?” Christen asks, having a feeling that she does. 

“I do,” Tobin smiles, “it’s fun,” 

“Yeah,” Christen smiles back at her, stopping at her door, “I think it would be,” 

“Awesome!” Tobin grins, “Um, can I pick you here or do you want to meet in the lobby?” 

“Why don’t you come here a little early and we can have a snack and some wine?” Christen offers. 

“I’ll bring the wine, is that okay?” Tobin offers, looking at her expectantly. 

“Sure,” Christen grins. 

“Well,” Tobin breathes, “goodnight,” she says, “thanks for making it such a great evening.” 

“You too,” Christen says sincerely, “this has been my best Christmas Eve in years,” 

“Me too,” Tobin smiles. 

Christen looks at the floor and then looks up at Tobin, “Tobin?” she says softly, “Can I kiss you goodnight?” 

“Yeah,” she whispers, coming closer. 

Christen lifts her hand to Tobin’s jaw, caressing it softly as she draws near, bringing her lips to hers. They kiss cautiously, a little awkwardly, it’s all mouth, no tongue, just a soft pressing together. There’s no denying the little shocks they feel as they pull back, opening their eyes and smiling shyly at each other. 

“Goodnight Christen,” Tobin murmurs, pulling her in for hug, gripping her tightly, “you really made tonight a good night and I so appreciate it,” 

Christen melts into Tobin’s arms, feeling the surprising strength she has, a flash of how her Dad hugs her, but this is even better, she snuggles her head against her shoulder, “You made it just as special for me as well,” she says softly, “thank you so much,” she grips her tighter before releasing her. 

“Do you get a lunch tomorrow?” Christen ask suddenly.

“Yeah,” Tobin smiles, “you want to meet?” 

“Sure!” Christen nods her head vigorously. “Give me your phone and text me,” 

They swap numbers and make tentative plans to meet at the smaller restaurant for a quick lunch at noon, unless Tobin has a call and she’ll text her if that’s the case. 

Christen opens her door, smiling as Tobin walks backward down the hall, smiling at her, passing about four rooms before she stumbles a little. She laughs and then waves to her before turning around the walking to the elevator. 

Christen enters her room and leans against the closed door, smiling wildly and taking a deep breath and then popping off the door to trot to her bedroom. She opens the drapes and watches intently until she sees Tobin skipping, actually fucking skipping, down the path to her cabin. She quickly opens her door and shuts it, Christen seeing a light turned on. 

Christen sighs happily, waiting for another minute before turning away and getting ready for bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the encouraging messages. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.


	4. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Day and Christen and Tobin are both looking forward to lunch and dinner together. 
> 
> Oh, starts off with Christen having a, uh, moment for herself. ;)

Wednesday, December 25th 

Christen wakes to the soft chimes of her alarm, lazily reaching for her phone and then turning the alarm off. She smiles and groans as she stretches under the covers, her toes pointed and arms over her head. She blinks her eyes open, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, feeling rested and happy. She smiles at the memory of last night, her dinner with Tobin, how nice it was, how they just seemed to click. She thought it was adorable how easily embarrassed Tobin would get, how they teased each other over dessert. How amazing Tobin was at the piano. Her voice. Her smile. Her body. 

She wonders if they will sleep together as some point while she’s here. She hopes so, Tobin is hot and incredibly sensual and something tells her that she would be amazing in bed. Again, she shakes her head, expectations. That little glint of cockiness Tobin displayed, though, it was such a turn on. 

She lets her hand trail along her chest, massaging her breast and pinching and pulling at her nipple for a little bit, thinking of how much she likes the feel of someone playing with them. She shifts in the bed, spreading her legs wide, letting her fingers circle her smooth stomach and then slowly slip under the waistband of her fleece pajama pants to find the heat and wetness. 

She thinks of Tobin’s hands, those long fingers, so talented as they hovered over the keys of the piano last night, what would she do with those fingers to her. She begins to touch herself, circling her clit, working herself up quickly, sliding down and entering herself with two fingers, her hips moving with to meet them. 

She issues a soft cry, her other hand coming up to her breast, roughly massaging it, pulling at the nipple as she imagined Tobin biting and sucking on it. Her breathing picks up, picturing Tobin above her, almost feeling her weight, picturing her pumping her fingers into her, filling her, then she moves her fingers to her clit, moving them quickly. She pants and moans as she feels her legs begin to tremble, her fingers moving furiously between her legs, her hips moving on their own volition. 

Her eyes are clamped shut, she’s almost there, just waiting for that one moment to send herself over the edge. It happens when she visualizes looking down and seeing Tobin’s head between her legs, her long hair brushing against her thighs. 

She cries out loudly, her orgasm consuming her, making her shudder in pleasure, her back arching, the euphoria overtaking her. She smiles as she pants, she hasn’t gotten herself off in a long time. She wipes her fingers in her underwear, feeling content and sleepy. She pulls her hand from within her pants and rolls to her side and drifts back to sleep. 

XXXX

Tobin swings open the door to the office, a smile on her face. 

“Morning, Cheney,” she greets Lauren as she passes by her desk, “Merry Christmas!” 

“Merry Christmas, Tobs,” Lauren smiles at her, “you were great last night, as usual,” 

“Oh,” Tobin shrugs, “thanks,” she says, “it was fun.” 

“Christen sure seemed to have a good time,” Lauren says, a grin on her face. 

“Oh, come on,” Tobin sighs, “you were the one person I was counting on not to tease me,” 

“I’m kidding,” Lauren says, shaking her head, “how did it happen?” 

“I was waiting for a table at dinner and she walked in, so I asked her,” Tobin explains, “she’s really nice,” 

“That she is,” Lauren nods, “it’s nice to put yourself out there, babe,” she says as she stands and gives her a hug, “you were brave to ask her, I’m glad you had a good time,” 

“Thanks,” Tobin says, “it felt good,” she grins at her, “scary, but good.” 

“I’m sure it had to be,” Lauren acknowledges, full well knowing how Tobin hasn’t dated since Morgan passed away.

“Yeah,” she nods, “I gotta get up there,” she nods towards the summit, “I’ll see you later,” 

“Lunch?” Lauren asks, looking at her expectantly. 

“I got plans,” Tobin smiles, “thanks, though.” 

“Go, tiger!” Lauren wiggles her eyebrows. 

“Cheney!” Tobin exclaims with a laugh, clocking in and heading back to the door, “See ya later!” 

Tobin slips her sunglasses on as she leaves the lodge, taking a deep breath as she skips down the stairs. She walks over the bridge, eying the river that has just frozen over to the ski area, walking the path to the slope, greeting the lift manager and slipping onto a seat as it swings around. She scans the slope, critically looking for any hazards on the slope as she travels up, satisfied that there’s no dangerous areas. She knows the groomers do this as well, but she likes to check and also get a lay of how the slope looks before she skis it. 

She hops off the lift, greeting the operator and heading into the First Aid shack. 

“Merry Christmas, Dawn!” She greets, dropping her back pack on an empty chair. Dawn stands up and embraces her, “Merry Christmas, Tobin!” 

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a great day!” Tobin predicts. 

“I hope you’re right!” Dawn laughs, “Allie will take first responder until noon,” she informs her, “so you have sled duty and you’ll switch at lunch.” 

“Sounds cool,” Tobin nods, “I’ll get the sled and bag ready.” She moves to the gear locker, fishing her keys out and unlocking it. “Did Allie check in yet?” 

“She did,” Dawn nods, “She’s over on Blue Slope already.” 

“Ah,” Tobin nods as she assembles the bag and pulls the sled out. 

“HQ this is Base Lift, over.” The radio crackles. 

“Base Lift this is HQ, over.” Dawn replies. 

“HQ, first riders are on the lift, let’s have a safe day and Merry Christmas, over.” 

“Base Lift, roger that and Merry Christmas to you, over and out.” Dawn smiles. 

Tobin grabs a radio from the charging station and does a quick test with Dawn. It’s successful, so she clips the radio head to the radio pouch on her chest and slides the rest of the unit in the lower pocket. 

“All set,” Tobin announces, her heavy pack in hand, “I’ll grab the sled,” 

“Sounds good. Be safe,” Dawn advises. 

Tobin looks at Dawn, “Do you have the chart?” she asks her, a grin on her face. Dawn holds it up for her to see. “Sweet! See ya later,” Tobin nods and leaves. 

Tobin connects the sled to the snowmobile, making sure it’s secure and fires up the machine and pulls out. She maneuvers the sled safely to an area out of the way of the skiers and parks it. She shuts off the motor, getting off the machine and stands next to it, putting her hands in her jacket pockets. 

Sled duty is boring, a necessary task and one that her and Allie and the other staff rotate doing. Actually, the down time isn’t so bad, it gives her time to think. She’s glad she has the early shift, giving herself the evening off and avoiding the drunks that usually come out after five o’clock. Crystal and the rest of the bar staff do a great job of cutting off the skiers that drink before they get out of hand, but there’s nothing any of them can do with the ones that sip on their own stash. 

They keep a chart going on the holidays, tracking how many calls they receive for drunk guests dressed as Santas and Elves and Reindeer being obnoxious enough that it warrants their services. The Security Patrols handle most of them and they keep their own chart, adding in the unusual costumed characters they run into as well. 

Sometimes, people just get out of hand, Tobin shakes her head and scans the area. It’s mostly couples and college kids right now, the more serious skiers, coming out for the fresh powder. The families will come out later in the afternoon, after opening gifts and then they stay for dinner. It’s a tradition around here, one that she grew up doing herself for many years. 

When both of her sisters got married, that changed, but Tobin would come during the day for a few hours as a teenager, sometimes with her cousins who came in from out of town, other times alone. She stopped when her sisters had their kids, opting to stay and hold the babies, then engage them in play as toddlers and play even more when they got older. Two years ago she got her Godson up on skis for the first time and he was fearless. 

Being a firefighter for a few years, she didn’t have always Christmas off and that was hard for her, but they would celebrate early or later when she was available and it was still a good time. But it wasn’t exactly the same. When it wasn’t on Christmas, it was just a little different and that made her sad, but she couldn’t always express why. 

She doesn’t celebrate with her family since the accident occurred that took her girlfriend and her nephew’s life. She can’t face them. She can’t look any of her family in the eyes, knowing that she failed to protect one of their own. It hurts to see their sorrow, knowing that she had a hand in it, she was responsible. At least, that’s how she feels. 

Her therapist had another opinion, but they’ve danced around it for over a year, Tobin unwilling to believe that her family isn’t angry at her, doesn’t wish it was her that didn’t survive. She couldn’t believe it, she can’t let herself take that risk and then find out the truth that they couldn’t stand the sight of her. 

For her, it’s better to keep them at arm’s length, rather than face the truth. So, she avoids them. 

A knock to her shoulder brings her out of her thoughts, she flinches and turn to see Allie smiling at her. 

“Wow!” Allie exclaims, “You’re in your head this morning,” she says, pushing her goggles up on her helmet, “day dreaming about last night?” she grins at her. 

“No,” Tobin elbows her, making her take a side step on her skis. 

“Geez!” Allie exhales, her breath coming out in a little puff. “You almost knocked me over!” 

“Don’t be dramatic, Harry,” Tobin calls her by her nickname, “it’s not attractive.” 

“Speaking of attractive,” Allie sidles up next to her again, “Christen is very nice,” she says, “I had a chance to speak with her a little bit, she seems really nice.” 

“She is,” Tobin agrees, feeling her cheeks warm up just talking about her. She hopes Allie will just think it’s because of the cold. 

They silently stand together, watching the action of the skiers getting off the lift and moving to the slope they want to tackle. 

“I’m having lunch with her,” Tobin says unexpectantly, surprising herself to admit this Allie. She hasn’t been super forthcoming about personal life a whole lot. It’s something she’s working on. Ever since Morgan died, she’s shut down in that department. It takes a lot out of her mentally to share things with her therapist, so speaking about it outside her office is kept to a minimum. Out of all her friends, Lauren, then Alex and then Allie know the most. “Dinner tonight, too.” 

She chances a glance at Allie and sees her still looking out at the growing crowd, beginning to think maybe she didn’t hear her. 

“I’m happy you’re doing that,” Allie says simply, turning to give her a small smile, “as long as you’re feeling good about it, I am too,” 

Tobin bites her lower lip, nodding slowly, “I am,” she says quietly. 

Allie elbows her and gives her a wink, “Cool,” she grins, “I’m going to over to Green Slope, I’ll catch you later.” She sticks her poles in the snow, “I want to hear about lunch!” she says as she shoves off. 

Tobin grins after her retreating form, nodding to herself and thinking that, yeah, maybe she will tell her about lunch. She’s grateful Allie didn’t continue to ask her questions, she appreciate her giving her some space to figure it out. 

XXXX

“You’re where?” Channing practically screeches into the phone. Christen’s glad she’s got it on speaker as she readies herself for lunch. She’s spent her morning making calls, wishing Merry Christmas to her parents, her sister Tyler and now Channing. 

“Holiday Resort,” Christen replies, “Dad wants me to check it out,” 

“Yeah, right,” Channing snorts, “that’s total bullshit,” she says, “what happened? You fuck something up or did you finally realize that work is all you do and you need a life?” 

“I have a life!” Christen defends herself, “I work hard but I do have a life Channing!” 

“Is it some secret life I don’t know about?” Channing asks sarcastically, “You have a new girlfriend that you’ve been keeping secret?” 

“That’s a low blow,” Christen says quietly, hurt she would say that. Channing knows how badly she felt after breaking up with Vero. 

“No, it’s not,” Channing pushes, “you’ve been wallowing for over a year and haven’t done a damn thing about it except to escape in your job.” 

“That’s not true,” Christen is getting pissed. 

“Yes, it is,” Channing continues, “you constantly blow off family stuff because of work, you hardly go out with friends, you haven’t even tried to date.” Channing is now on a roll. “You think I wanted to book a stupid cruise with my boyfriend and his family for Christmas? You couldn’t commit to Christmas because of the Walsh deal!” 

Christen can’t speak. First, she was pissed. Now listening to Channing, she realizes how correct her sister is. The line is silent as Christen feels tears slowly trail down her face. 

“You’re right,” she finally admits, “you’re right about everything.” She starts to cry. She buries her face in her hands. 

“Chrissy, I love you,” Channing says tenderly, “I just want you to be happy, to have a full life and not ever look back and have regrets.” 

Christen can’t say anything due to her choking sobs. 

“I just want you to be happy,” Channing continues, “to be able to balance work and life outside it,” 

“I know,” Christen says, now sniffing and wiping her eyes, “I know,” 

“You really need to be able to ignore your planner sometimes and just let things happen and learn to enjoy them,” Channing persists, “you need to not be so structured,” 

Christen thinks about last night and spending time with Tobin and then at the bar, “I did,” she says quietly. 

“What?” 

“I did,” Christen sniffs, picking up her phone and walking to the bathroom to find some tissue, she takes the box and walks to the living room, sitting down on the couch, “last night.”

“What did you do?” Channing questions. 

“I went to dinner last night and one of the employees here was waiting for a table,” she explains, “she asked if I would join her and I did.” 

Channing snorts, “That doesn’t count,” she says, “you’re working with her!” 

“No,” Christen argues, “she’s on the Ski Patrol, I only met her briefly, like, that morning, she has nothing to do with operations.” 

“Hm,” Channing murmurs, “go on,” 

“Well, we had dinner and she’s very sweet and nice and hot and then we went to the bar after,” Christen shares. Then she blows her nose. 

“Wait, back up.” Channing says, “She’s hot?” 

Christen smiles, “Yes, she’s gorgeous,” she says, “we went to the bar and hung out with the others, they sang karaoke and Christmas songs and then she walked me to my room.” 

“This is progress,” Channing admits, “how did you feel about it?” 

“It was so much fun!” Christen bursts enthusiastically, “Her friends are super cool, and she sings and plays the piano and she’s sensitive and sweet.” 

“Did you sleep with her?” Channing asks curiously. 

“No,” Christen says slowly, “it’s not like that. Her girlfriend died two years ago and she’s not into, like, one night stands.” 

“You talked about it?” Channing is surprised. 

“We did,” Christen confirms, “at dinner. We’re just enjoying each other’s company, you know?” 

“Huh,” Channing acknowledges, “do you want to sleep with her?” 

“Yes,” Christen admits, “but right now, it’s just kind of fun learning about her and I think she feels the same way, too.” She nods. 

“Huh,” Channing says and is quiet for a minute. 

“It sounds like the two of you are in similar places,” Channing says, “both kind of trying to get back out there.” 

“Yeah, I guess,” Christen agrees, thinking she’s right. “I kind of feel like Scrooge after the three ghosts visit him,” she says, “like my eyes are open again and really seeing things.” 

“What are you doing today?” Channing wants to know. 

“Well,” Christen smiles, “I need to get ready because I’m having lunch with Tobin,” 

“Wait, who’s Tobin?” Channing interrupts. 

“The girl I’m telling you about!” 

“Oh, right,” Channing says, “weird name,” 

“It fits her,” Christen says, a smile on her face, “anyway,” she gets back on track, “I’m having lunch with her and then dinner tonight.” 

“Good,” Channing states, “I’m glad you won’t be alone,” she says, “I miss you, when will you be back in town?” 

“The second,” 

“Cool,” Channing says, “I’ll see you then, we’re doing dinner,” 

“Okay, sounds good,” Christen looks at her phone and sees the time, “shit, I’ve got to get ready,” 

“Love you, Merry Christmas,” 

“Merry Christmas, Channing,” Christen heartfully, “love you too, and thanks,” 

“For what?” 

“The push I needed,” 

“Anytime,” 

They end the call and Christen scrambles up from the couch, making a beeline to the bathroom. 

XXXX

“Hi!” Christen greets Tobin eagerly, touching her shoulder as Tobin straightens up from zipping her backpack up. 

“Hey!” Tobin smiles, turning and giving her a quick hug, “Merry Christmas! 

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” Christen smiles. 

“Ready to eat?” Tobin asks, opening the door and gesturing Christen to enter. 

“Yes, I’m starving!” Christen exclaims. 

They move through the line rather quickly for how busy it is. Christen insists on buying, enjoying that she makes Tobin blush a little. 

They find a table near the back, sitting down and beginning to eat. Christen raises her eyebrows at the amount of food on Tobin’s tray. 

“Oh,” Tobin gives her a little grin, “it’s kind of a physical job,” she says lifting her fork towards her mouth.

“Ah,” Christen nods, noting that Tobin selected a large salad, a small bowl of pasta and a piece of grilled salmon.

“How was your morning?” Tobin asks, looking up at her. 

“Good,” Christen replies, “made some calls, talked with my family.” 

“Cool,” Tobin nods. Her eyes cloud over a little, Christen deciding not to mention it. 

“I was thinking of picking up some cheese and cashews for tonight, does that work for you?” she asks her. 

“Sure,” Tobin grins, “so, would a white wine go better with that?” 

“Probably,” Christen shrugs, “surprise me,” she smiles. 

Tobin smiles as she chews, her warm brown eyes sparkling at her. 

Tobin makes Christen giggle as she tells her about the drunken Santa chart and past hilarious experiences she’d had on the mountain. 

“He was naked?” Christen asks, her eyes large, thinking Tobin was pulling her leg. 

“Totally!” Tobin laughs, “Except for his ski boots! He was so drunk he couldn’t get out of the bush he skied into! I felt like burning my gloves after that call!” 

They both laugh, smiling at each other. Lunch is nearly over and neither of them want it to end. 

“So,” Christen says, changing the subject, “what is dress code for dinner tonight?”

“Uh,” Tobin shrugs, “whatever you want,” she says, “people wear all kinds of stuff, dresses, sweaters, jeans, so whatever makes you comfortable.” 

“Okay,” Christen nods, thinking of the black velvet dress with the red accents she packed. “I have the perfect dress,” she says happily, glad to have packed it. It would be perfect, a little holiday color. She likes wearing it, it’s comfortable and she wants to impress Tobin. 

“Cool,” Tobin grins, “so, we’ll have dinner, we’ll sit with Lauren and her family, and I think maybe Emily will be there, too. Then after dinner, I play for about forty minutes. After that, we can do whatever.” 

“Sounds like a nice night,” Christen smiles at her. 

“It does to me, too,” Tobin agrees, then looks down at her watch, “uh, I need to go,” 

“See you about five-thirty?” Christen questions, looking at expectantly. 

“Absolutely,” Tobin stands, “have a good rest of the day, okay?” 

“You, too,” Christen smiles, “and watch out for those Santas!” She stands and gives her a hug.

Tobin laughs and departs. Christen stays in her seat for a few minutes, glad to catch sight of Tobin skiing away from the building, heading towards the lift. She stands and puts her jacket on, grinning the whole way back to the lodge and her room. 

She can’t wait for tonight. 

XXXX

Christen opens the door and her mouth drops open, surprised to see Tobin. She’s standing before her holding a bottle of wine in one hand, a black long wool coat over her other arm. She’s wearing a dark burgundy dress with long sleeves, a modest neckline, the dress coming just above her knees. She’s not wearing nylons, her smooth tan skin on display with dark grey ankle booties to complete her outfit. She’s wearing some light makeup, a little mascara and lipstick, her hair long and loose. 

Christen unabashedly lets her eyes crawl over her, taking in the sight. She’s flinches, suddenly remembering her manners, only to see Tobin wearing the same expression on her face as she checks her out. 

Their eyes meet, both smiling. “You look amazing,” the say in unison. 

They both look down shyly. 

“Hi,” Tobin says, shifting her weight. 

“Hi,” Christen smiles at her, “Oh!” she opens the door wider, “Please, come in!” 

Tobin gives her a toothy smile as she passes her, Christen catching a brief scent of a mysterious perfume. 

“I really like your dress, Christen,” Tobin compliments, “you look so, so,” she pauses, “so incredible in it.” 

“Thank you,” Christen beams at her, pleased that she likes it, “it is so soft, I like wearing it.” she eyes her again, “You look” she shakes her head, then straightens up and looks her in the eyes, “absolutely beautiful.” 

Tobin blushes once again, pink tinging her cheeks, “Thank you,” she says quietly. 

A moment of awkwardness overcomes them both with these admissions, Tobin still standing near the door, coat in hand, still holding the bottle. 

“Here,” Christen gesture to the wine, “let me take that and open it,” she says quickly, “your coat, too,” 

Tobin offers them up, twisting her hands nervously together. 

“Have a seat on the sofa,” Christen directs, setting the bottle on the nearby table and opening the closet for place Tobin’s coat in it. Tobin slowly walks towards the couch, turning her head to examine the room. 

“This room is awesome,” she comments, feeling a little less nervous, she stands near the large window, “what a view,” she says appreciatively. 

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Christen questions from the kitchen area, opening the bottle of Riesling and filling the glasses. She brings them to the window, offering one to Tobin who accepts it.

“Merry Christmas,” Christen says, holding her glass up. 

“Merry Christmas,” Tobin replies, clinking their glasses and they both take a sip. 

“Oh, this is good,” Christen comments, “want to sit and have a snack?” she invites. 

“Of course,” Tobin says, “I’m starving,” she grins. 

All of the awkwardness melts away when they sit close together on the couch and share their afternoons with each other. 

Fifty minutes later, they leave Christen’s room, opting to take the indoor route to the lodge dining room. They walk side by side, chatting about the best concerts they’ve ever been to and which bands they like. They arrive at the dining room faster than they realize, walking in together and seeing Lauren near the entrance. 

“Merry Christmas!” she greets, smiling at them, “You two look terrific!” she exclaims, nodding approvingly. They make a stunning couple. 

“Our table is over here,” she smiles, leading them to the nearly full table. Christen sits next to Emily with Tobin beside her and Lauren on her right. 

Introductions are made around the table, everyone is in a festive mood. Table talk is light, discussing the favorite toys they received as children, the best Christmas song, and embarrassing childhood school programs they participated. 

“And I was this tree, all decorated,” Emily explains, “and I was supposed to go to the center of the stage and explain why people put ornaments and lights on me,” she says, shaking her head at them, “but they shoved the presents in front of me and I tripped!” 

They all laugh at the image. 

“I couldn’t get up!” Emily laughs, “I just laid there, with little elves pulling on me, until a teacher came out and stood me up.” 

Tobin and Christen share a glance and smile at each other, shyly looking down. Then Tobin nudges her, “You okay to hang here while I go and do my thing?” she asks quietly. 

“Oh yeah,” Christen gives her a little wave, “I’ll be fine,” she smiles, pleased that Tobin is concerned about her comfort level here, sitting at a table of acquaintances and strangers. 

“Okay, then,” Tobin nods, “I’ll see you in a bit,” she says, placing her napkin her on the table and standing up. She fills her water glass from the pitcher on the table and takes it with as she heads up to the small stage. 

Christen watches Tobin walk away, her eyes crawling over her movements, seeing her muscular calves, her ass, her graceful casual gait. 

Emily leans over, “She does have a great ass, huh?” she whispers to in Christen’s ear. 

Christen’s eyes go wide, she turns sharply to Emily who is grinning at her. “Just saying,” Emily smirks, taking a drink from her glass and wiggling her eyebrows. 

Christen tries to refocus and looks around the table only to see Lauren giving her a knowing smile. She blushes and looks away, feeling the heat rise and is sure a blush is spreading across her face. 

Thankfully, Tobin begins to play, music filling the room. Christen recognizes the familiar chords of Fur Elise, watching as Tobin’s fingers roam across the keys, playing with ease. She turns when the server comes by, clearing plates, and another one drops off a pack of small booklets. Lauren begins to pass them around the table, Christen realizing it’s a song book. She smiles as she leafs through it, listening to music, impressed with the acoustics in the large area. 

Lauren stands up and makes her way to the stage, Christen now noticing there are two microphones. One near Tobin at the piano and another one on a mic stand. When Tobin completes the song, polite applause fills the dining hall, Tobin looking up with a shy smile. 

“Thank you, Tobin, that was beautiful,” Lauren say into the microphone. She turns to address those gathered. “Merry Christmas from all of us here at Holiday Resort, we’re thankful for your company today. It’s a tradition here to gather after dinner and sing some carols before enjoying the rest of our Christmas. We’d like to invite you stay and enjoy the music and feel free to join in on the singing.” 

She steps down and comes back to her seat. 

“Hey everyone,” Tobin says casually, “how about we give a round of applause to Chef Nadine and the staff here and how they’ve decorated this place so beautifully, and those who are giving up their holiday to serve us all this evening,” A strong round of applause fills the room as Tobin claps and smiles at Lauren’s table. 

“Now, what do you say, we start out a little slow and then get rocking?” she grins at the crowd, “This one is one of my favorites, The First Noel.” 

The time seems to pass quickly, Christen smiling broadly as she sings along with everyone. Tobin and Lauren sing a beautiful rendition of O, Holy Night together, their voices blending together so wonderfully. They end the program with Angels We Have Heard On High followed by Joy To The World. Deafening applause fills the room, Tobin standing and giving a slight bow before taking her glass and walking straight to the table. 

“Whew!” Tobin breathes as she smiles and sits down. “That was fun!” 

“It was,” Christen agrees, “it really was.” 

Emily stands up and gives her goodbyes as well as Lauren’s family. Soon it’s just the two of them at the table. 

“So, uh, what were you going to do tonight?” Tobin asks tentatively.

“I was thinking of hanging out with a smoking chick tonight,” Christen grins at her, “that is, if she doesn’t have other plans.” 

Tobin gives her a wide smile, “Funny,” she says, “I was thinking of doing the same thing.” She stands up and extends her hand, “Let’s go,” 

Christen takes her hand and stands, “Where to?” 

“Back to your room,” Tobin says as they walk and then slaps her forehead with her hand, “Uh, I mean, you know, to just chill,” she cringes, “not like Netflix and chill,” 

Christen’s melodic laughs makes her stop walking. Christen gently places her hand around Tobin’s wrist. “Relax,” she says softly, “just relax, it’s okay.” 

Tobin takes a deep breath, giving her Christen a shaky smile, “Okay,” she says. 

“Let’s go,” Christen says, sliding her hand into Tobin’s and squeezing gently. They walk hand in hand back to her room. 

Tobin is standing near the window looking out at the slope. Skiers are moving down it, some gracefully, others not so much. She turns to face Christen who is pulling the wine from the fridge. 

“Do you know what the temperature is?” Tobin inquires. Christen shrugs and moves to her purse, pulling her phone out. 

“It’s thirty-eight degrees,” she informs her. Tobin smiles and nods, “Perfect.” 

“Why?” Christen questions, unsure what she’s talking about. 

“There’s no wind,” Tobin says, tossing her thumb over her shoulder towards the slope, “you wanna take a hike?” 

“Now?” Christen’s eyes go wide. 

Tobin smiles wide as she nods, “Now.” 

Christen considers it. “Uh, sure,” she shrugs, “I’ll have to change first,” she says and holds up the bottle, “you want a glass while I get dressed?” 

Tobin shakes her head, “I’m good,” she says, “go,” she nods excitedly. 

When Christen comes out a few minutes later, Tobin looks her over. She quirks her mouth and shakes her head. “Do you have leggings on underneath your jeans?” 

“I do,” Christen replies.

“Cool,” Tobin nods. She follows her to her closet as Christen pulls out Tobin’s coat and her jacket. “Do you have a hat? Gloves?” 

Christen pulls out the hat and gloves she brought with. Again, Tobin shakes her head. “You can borrow some of mine,” she grins at her, “ready?” 

“Just need my room key,” Christen nods and retrieves it from the countertop where she dropped it upon entering the room. 

Tobin takes her hand and smiles, “Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments- so appreciate the encouraging words and am happy y'all are enjoying it. 
> 
> Yeah, this would be a cliff hanger, eh? Sorry. (Not sorry.)
> 
> You'll see the update in a couple of days. You know I"m good for it.


	5. An Adventurous Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen and Tobin take a walk in the woods, each feeling their attraction for the other.

Wednesday, December 25th 

They arrive at Tobin’s cabin, Tobin immediately going to her kitchen and seemingly putting on a pot of coffee and then leaving Christen to gaze at the walls adorned with funky artwork while she changes her clothes. She comes out in a grey thermal dri-fit top and black leggings unknowingly showing off all of her curves and muscles to Christen. 

“Here,” she hands Christen some dark nylon material and a pair of gloves and a wool hat, “take your pants off,” 

“Oh, so forward Ms. Heath,” Christen laughs, further unzipping her jacket and taking off her boots. She puts on the snow pants as Tobin does the same. Tobin layers up with a sweater and goes to her backpack. She fishes out a small black plastic device and shoves it in her jacket pocket.

“What’s that?” Christen questions. 

“An emergency beacon,” Tobin explains, “I always take one when I go out in the woods, you know, just in case something happens.” 

“Oh,” Christen straightens, “is what we're doing dangerous?” she asks prudently. 

“Oh no,” Tobin shakes her head, “but you never know, it’s just a precaution, really,” 

Christen nods, feeling a shiver of fear that she shakes off, inherently trusting Tobin. The woman works for the Ski Patrol, she’s a paramedic, she reasons, I think I’m in good hands. She decides to just go with it. 

“How long have you lived here?” Christen asks innocently, noting how there’s only one bedroom and the small accommodations. 

“Uh,” Tobin, “not quite two years,” Tobin replies a little uncomfortably. 

Christen nods silently, noting the date corresponds with the deaths of her girlfriend and nephew.

She sees Tobin take a breath, “Um, after everything happened,” she pauses, scratching at her neck, “my girlfriend and I owned a house and I sold it, I just couldn’t live there.” 

Christen bites her lip at this, wondering if Tobin’s dead girlfriend’s parents were cruel to her. She nods and says nothing. 

“And then Lauren offered me this place, so…” Tobin trails off. 

Knowing she needs to say something, Christen pauses before she speaks, “Well, it’s pretty cool and it suits you,” she smiles at her, “smoking hot Ski Patrol chick, living on the mountain,”   
It does the trick because she sees Tobin visibly relax and give her a smile. 

When they first arrived, Tobin made a pot of coffee, then disappeared into her room. Now, she takes the coffee, pouring it into a small thermos, opening a cabinet and adding some sugar and pouring in something from a small bottle before adding some cream from her fridge. She puts the thermos in a large pocket, zips her key into another pocket, then pats her jacket. She shoves a couple of water bottles in a different pocket. 

She nods and grabs her boots and puts them on. “Have you ever used snowshoes before?” 

“No,” Christen replies, shaking her head, “never,” 

“Wanna try? It’s easy once you get the hang out it,” Tobin offers. 

Christen considers it for a moment and then shrugs, “Let’s do it,” she smiles. 

Tobin fist pumps and laughs, “I think you’ll love it,” she says, opening a closet and bringing out two pair of aluminum snowshoes. “Oh,” she says, “one more thing,” she nods and rifles around in a drawer in her kitchen, coming back to stand in front of Christen. She drapes a whistle on a lanyard over her head and does the same herself. 

“Please put your hat on,” she guides, “and this goes on, right like that,” she places something on Christen’s head. 

She puts on her hat, Christen realizing it’s a headlamp. 

“Ready?” Tobin grins. 

“Ready to try,” Christen chuckles and follows her out the door. 

Tobin shows her how to put on the snowshoes, guiding her with her first steps, helping her up when she tumbles into the snow. They laugh through it all, although Christen is concentrating on getting the mechanics of walking down. 

She kind of gets the hang of it, her arms out as she waddles around until Tobin comes up behind her placing her hands on her hips. “You kind of have to walk sassy, swing your hips,” she says, her breath hot on Christen exposed neck. She feels a shiver run down her spine and nods, doing as Tobin says as Tobin guides her hips. She ends up walking much easier and it starts to feel not as alien to her anymore. 

Tobin snaps on her headlamp, standing in front of Christen again to snap on hers as well. She takes her hand and they walk together, going behind Tobin’s cabin to a trail Christen didn’t even know was there. Tobin quietly points out a beaver dam in a frozen river as they walk over the bridge. She shows her where she wiped out on a snowmobile a few years ago because of a downed tree across the path that was covered in snow. 

They take a right at a fork in the trail, climber higher up the mountain, Christen marveling at the quietness and how the snow reflects on the ground from the moonlight. 

“This is beautiful,” she comments, “I’ve never walked in the woods at night in winter.” 

“It is,” Tobin agrees, her voice just as subdued as hers, as if neither wants to disturb the silence too much. 

The trail gets a little steeper, Tobin’s grip tightening on Christen’s hand, slowing her pace as Christen starts to get winded. Soon Tobin finds a downed tree limb just a couple of feet off the path and leads her to it. 

Tobin swipes the large mound of snow off the bark and offers her a water after Christen catches her breath. 

“I swear I’m in shape,” Christen shakes her head as she sits next to her, “that was tough,” she takes off a glove and drinks some water, surprised she’s so thirsty. 

“It’s the altitude,” Tobin declares, “you’re not used to it yet,” 

Tobin leans over, “Turn off your light,” she says quietly, “the button is on the side.” 

She clicks hers off and Christen does the same. 

They sit in a comfortable silence, watching the shadows cast by the moon, the snow glistening, undisturbed by any footprints. Christen cranes her neck and sees the sky full of stars, the sky so dark, unlike back in Los Angeles. 

“Listen,” Tobin whispers, her eyes darting to the right. 

Christen listens and doesn’t hear anything. She sits there, wondering if Tobin is trying to prank her or maybe scare her. Then she hears the undeniable snap of a branch. 

“What is it?” she whispers with alarm. 

“Sssshhh,” Tobin slowly brings her finger to her lips, “watch,” 

More snapping branches are heard, one particularly loud one giving off a slight echo. Christen grows tense, sitting rigid with her spine straight. Then she sees it, a herd of five deer including two small ones, walking from the right side towards them, no more than three yards in front of them. A large buck stops to examine them and Christen freezes, hoping they don’t bolt away.   
The buck relaxes, wandering around, nosing the ground and foraging on some shrubs hidden under the snow. For fifteen minutes they watch the deer feed until they slowly move off to the left, moving silently except for the occasional cracking of branches under their hooves. 

She waits a moment, then Christen turns to Tobin, gripping her arm excitedly, “That was amazing!” she exclaims, keeping her voice down. She’s smiling like crazy, “I don’t even know the last time I saw a deer, let alone a whole group of them!” 

Tobin grins at her, “It’s pretty rad, huh?” She stands up, “Come on, put on your light, I want to show your something,” 

Christen clicks her light on and stands, looking at her expectantly. Tobin leads her over to where the deer where, pointing out the tracks and how they fed and sniff out the vegetation that they can eat. 

“I have one more place to show you and then we can head back,” Tobin says, taking her hand and leading her down the trail they had come up. 

“Do you see a lot of deer around her?” Christen asks as they walk, glad they are moving downhill. 

“Oh yeah,” Tobin replies, “there’s no hunting on this side of the mountain and the deer know that,” 

Christen nods, it makes sense. 

Tobin guides her on to another path and they move to the right, away from the path that would take them back to the lodge. 

“You know,” Christen says, “I’m not cold at all,” she grins, “guess dressing correctly is important, huh?” 

“For sure,” Tobin agrees, “so many people come here and get hypothermia because they aren’t properly clothed, it’s something else.” She says, “We try to educate them, but some people just think we’re trying to sell them stuff they don’t need,” she shakes her head. 

“Why did you stop being a firefighter?” Christen asks, curious to her change of career.

Tobin shrugs, “My brother got me in,” she says, “it was cool, I went through all of the classes they offered and I really liked being a paramedic,” she nods, “but the firehouse, it’s just super political, especially with promotions and me being a chick and stuff. I got the schooling I needed to do this and I love being outside, so I figured it would be a good gig.” 

“It seems to agree with you,” Christen comments, thinking about her own career. 

“It does,” Tobin smiles, “I get to meet cool people, hang out on the slopes, help people in need and in the summers, I’m one of the guides for the river rafting this place offers.” 

“Really?” Christen is impressed, she’s been rafting before, she nods, thinking Tobin’s personality would be perfect as a river guide. 

“Yeah,” Tobin smiles, “it’s a lot of fun!” 

“I bet,” Christen muses, imagining Tobin in cut off shorts and t-shirt covering a bikini top. 

“We’re almost here,” Tobin says, leading her off trail. Christen stumbles over a branch, taking long strides and nearly tripping when she feels Tobin’s strong arms around her waist. 

“I got you,” she says, holding her firmly, “just get your feet under yourself,” 

Christen does and slides to the side a little, still in Tobin’s arms, “Thanks,” she says, looking into to her eyes. She sees Tobin lick her lips and then step back, “It’s just this way,” she says quietly. 

They sit on a flat rock that overlooks a frozen pond. Tobin unscrews two plastic cups off the top of the thermos she’s been carrying, pouring the hot liquid into them. She offers one to Christen who cups it with her gloved hands. 

They both take a sip, watching the barren openness in front of them. 

There’s a loud crack and Christen jumps, startled, “What was that?” 

Tobin chuckles, “Just the ice under the snow,” she replies calmly, “the ice shifts and cracks since it isn’t frozen deep enough yet.” 

“Oh,” Christen nods, taking another drink, thankful Tobin brought it. “This is good, what’s in it?” 

“Just some Bailey’s,” Tobin nods, sipping from her cup. 

“There’s so many stars,” Christen comments, once again, looking up at the sky. 

Tobin raises her arm and points, “See the lightish cluster up there?” she points it out, “that’s the Milky Way,” she moves her arm, “there’s the Little Dipper and there’s the Big Dipper,” 

“Do you know more constellations?” Christen asks, looking at her. 

Tobin finishes her drink and screws it back on the thermos, then she pats her pats her lap, “Come here,” she says, indicating for Christen to sit. 

Christen carefully gets on Tobin’s lap, making sure their snowshoes don’t tangle. Tobin raises her arm up pointing to the North Star, “Now follow it here, and see that brighter star? Then the one lower on a right slant, now go up and you’ve got a V, go down and make a W with the other bright stars. That’s Cassiopeia.” 

“I see it!” Christen exclaims excitedly. 

She feels Tobin grip her waist with her free hand, bringer her closer, “Okay,” she points again, “see that bright star? That’s Orion, now just above it, there’s another one, see it?” 

“Uh huh,” Christen nods, eyes to the sky. 

“Make a line going down with the next three brighter ones, then a U with a little arm.” 

“There’s kind of another little arm at the top, right?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, “that’s Gemini.” 

Christen shifts and turns to her, looking into the eyes, “Tobin,” she says, softly, then bites her lower, lip. 

“Yeah,” Tobin leans her head closer to her, “Chris,” she says, swallowing hard. 

“Kiss me,” Christen pleads, leaning her head back to meet Tobin. She closes her eyes and feels Tobin’s lips on her, kissing her gently. Tobin leans her head perfectly to the side, allowing Christen to bring her hand up and put it behind her neck, holding her in place. 

Christen takes a chance, slowly slipping her tongue out to probe Tobin’s lips, she feels Tobin shift and open her mouth, her own tongue seeking contact. They both make a soft moan when they connect, twisting and teasing each other, exploring slowly, sensually. 

They part just slightly to breathe, each taking only a moment before coming back together, a little more forcefully this time. Christen shifts once more, kissing Tobin hard, completely relaxing in her arms, reveling in this feeling. She inadvertently lets go of the cup she’s holding, sending the liquid down on Tobin’s jacket. 

“Woah,” Tobin flinches, blinking her eyes, confused as to what’s happening. 

“Oh, sorry!” Christen cringes, leaving her lap fast only to catch and tangle their snowshoe together, sending her to the ground, sending a puff of snow shooting up as she lands awkwardly. 

“That was graceful,” Christen mutters, struggling to get up, only she keeps hooking Tobin’s snowshoe. 

Tobin giggles, “Hang on,” she says, sliding her foot away and then standing, offering her hand to help her up. She hugs her and kisses her softly, “So, I guess I swept off you off your feet?” she jokes. 

Christen laughs, “Oh, you’re so full of it!” She starts to brush the snow from her pants and jacket. “It won’t stain your jacket, will it?” 

“Nah,” Tobin says, picking the empty cup, “I’ll just wipe it off. No sweat.” 

Christen shivers, beginning to feel the cold. 

Tobin notices, “You ready to head back?” she screws the cup on the thermos and slip it in her pocket. 

“Let’s go,” Christen puts her hand out for Tobin to take. 

“So, that kiss,” Tobin murmurs as they walk, now back on the trail. 

“That was some kiss,” Christen nods, “you’re a really good kisser,” 

“So are you,” Tobin shakes her head, “that was pretty amazing,” 

“That’s for sure,” Christen agrees, her lips still tingling. She's not sure if it's because of the cold weather or the kiss. 

They walk on, it’s easy as they’re moving down hill and soon they near Tobin’s cabin. Christen is biting her lip, not quite ready for the evening to end. 

“Would you mind if I walk you to your room?” Tobin asks.

“I’d like that,” Christen smiles, happy that maybe Tobin is feeling the same way. 

“Let’s stop here and dump the snowshoes,” she suggests, “and I’ll walk you back.” 

That’s what they do, Tobin showing her how to shake the shoes out and rid them of the accumulated snow and ice that built up on them. She takes them in her place, setting them in her shower to dry out. She removes the empty water bottles and thermos from her pockets and then smiles at her. 

Arriving at her door, Christen finds her key, and opens it, looking over her shoulder at Tobin, “Come in for a bit?” she invites. 

She sees Tobin hesitate for just a moment but then she takes a breath and nods and follows her in. 

They take their jacket and boots off, then the snow pants they’re wearing. “Do you want to take these with you when you leave?” Christen asks, pointing to the pants, hat and gloves Tobin lent her. 

Tobin just waves at them, “Why don’t you keep them for a while and then if you’re going out, you’ll be prepared.” 

“Really?” Christen grins, “Thanks.” 

“No sweat,” Tobin grins back. They’re both wearing leggings and sweaters. Eying each other surreptitiously. 

“Wine?” Christen offers, arching an eyebrow. 

“Sure,” Tobin agrees, standing near the counter as Christen pours the wine. She hands her a glass and they walk to the couch. Both sit down close to each other, taking a small sip of their drink. 

They chat about snowshoeing and Christen is just impressed with how easy it is to walk across the snow in them. 

“Yeah, right?” Tobin says, nodding with her, “that snow is probably around eight to twelve inches deep, you’d really be struggling to get through it and work so hard to get to where we were.” 

Christen just looks at her, then she sets her glass on the coffee table, “Tobin,” she says quietly, “I’d like to kiss you again,” she nervously bites her lower lip. 

“I’d like to kiss you,” Tobin nods, setting her glass down and scooting closer to her, “come here,” she whispers, bringing an arm around her, “yeah, just like that,” she murmurs as she leans in, connecting their lips. 

They lose track of time as they make out, soft moans and whimpers coming from both of them, hands roaming along shoulders and sides, yet not exploring further. 

Christen pulls back after getting particularly worked up, panting and looking at Tobin, who’s smiling at her, breathing a little heavy with slightly swollen lips. “Woah,” Christen says, leaning back on the couch cushion, “you got me all kinds of horny,” 

Tobin clears her throat and nods, “Uh huh,” she grins at her, then her expression changes quickly. “Uh, is this too soon?” she asks her, concern in her eyes, “I mean, I haven’t dated in so long, I don’t know what’s the deal, like, how soon do you sleep with someone,” 

“Same here,” Christen murmurs, feeling flushed and confused, she wants Tobin, badly. “I guess we take it slow and if it feels right?”

“You’re cool with taking it slow?” Tobin asks her seriously, “I don’t want you to think I’m like, leading you on or something,” 

“You’re not,” Christen assures her, placing her hand lightly on Tobin’s leg, “we just figure out our pace, okay?” 

Tobin smiles at her, “Okay,” and she leans in and kisses her again. They sit for a minute, just smiling at each other. Then Tobin stifles a yawn and Christen realizes she’s pretty tired. She looks at her watch. 

“Tobin!” she exclaims, “It’s almost three!” her eyes are wide, “Do you have to work tomorrow?” she’s concerned. 

Tobin smiles widely, “Nope,” she sighs happily, “I work on Friday and then off Saturday,” 

“Oh, nice,” Christen grins and then covers her mouth as she yawns, “listen, do you want to stay? It’s late, and I know your cabin is just right there, but…” 

Tobin considers for a moment. “Do you have an extra contact case?” She asks, “Or something I can put my contacts in?” 

“Pretty sure we can figure out something,” she grins at her, “come on, let's go see if I have another case.”

They get up and Tobin follows her into the bathroom. Christen is able to produce an extra case and a toothbrush, much to her delight. Tobin scans her toiletries, “You’re ready for anything,” she comments, eying the multiple little bags. 

“Well, over the years I’ve learned to cover everything,” Christen explains, “you never know what you’ll need last minute.” 

“Good point,” Tobin nods, picking up the toothpaste and applying it to her brush. 

“I’ll get you something to sleep in,” Christen says, leaving the bathroom. 

Once in bed, she sees Tobin is far to the side away from her. “Come here,” Christen beckons, “I want to snuggle with you,” 

Tobin scoots over and wraps her arms around her, bringing one leg over hers as well, “Is this good?” she asks quietly, her voice a little shaky with nerves. 

“Perfect,” Christen smiles, “just relax, and go to sleep.” She feels how slowly it takes for Tobin’s muscles to relax, for her to calm down, to adjust to this new sensation. Even though she’s tired, Christen stays awake until she hears Tobin’s breathing change, for it to slow down and become this soft rhythmic inhale and exhale. 

Thursday, December 26th 

“No, no, no, no,” Tobin is slurring in her sleep. 

Christen’s eyes pop open, blinking rapidly wondering why she is awake. 

“No, no, no, no,” Tobin twists away from Christen, making a sound like a cry and a whine together, her legs kicking under the covers. She’s still mumbling but Christen can’t understand what she’s saying. 

Christen considers her options. One, she could ignore it and roll over and try to go back to sleep. Two, she could try to soothe her. She opts for two. She slowly scoots herself over, bringing her body behind Tobin’s, melding herself against her. 

Christen brings herself up on one elbow, her head hovering over Tobin’s, “Sssshhhh,” she whispers in her ear, “just sleep.” She goes back to the mattress, her arm running along Tobin’s in a soft pattern under the covers. 

Tobin lets out another stifled cry, then issues a long forlorn groan. It’s full of sorrow, almost crying, but not quite. 

Hearing this noise that’s so full of grief, Christen is compelled to move even closer and hug her tightly. Tobin lets out one more soft cry and then settles down. Christen hums softly as she feels Tobin’s body slowly relaxing and her breathing evening out once again. 

After a while, once Christen is positive Tobin’s sleeping, she allows herself to sleep as well. 

Christen becomes aware of something tickling her neck, she squirms a little at the sensation, moving to her left but the feeling persists. She blinks rapidly as she opens her eyes, turning to her left and realizing Tobin’s face is close to hers and her hair is just touching her neck enough to make her feel it. 

She pulls her head slowly away, looking at the woman sleeping next to her. Tobin’s face is unlined in her unconsciousness, free of stress and worry. She doesn’t carry that haunted look that she usually has in her moments of wakefulness. Christen takes in her long lashes, resting gently on her cheeks, how her mouth is slightly open, her lips a bit chapped with some dried skin on them. Her amazing jawline that Christen has to stop herself from running her fingers over. 

During the night, they’ve moved positions with Tobin now resting on Christen, her arm over her abdomen, a leg thrown over her Christen’s shins. Carefully, Christen reaches for her phone, her eyes going wide when she sees it’s nearly eleven. 

She drops her phone on her chest, using her right hand to gently pull strands of hair from Tobin’s face. 

“Tobin,” she says softly, “it’s time to wake up,” 

When she doesn’t get a response, she begins to stroke her jaw. “Sweetie,” she says, “wake up.” 

Tobin sighs, nuzzling herself closer to her, her hand moving to tighten her grip on Christen’s hip.

“Morning,” Tobin mumbles tiredly, pulling her head back a little, eyes still closed. 

“Good morning,” Christen replies, removing her hand from Tobin’s face, “how’d you sleep?” she asks, curious to what Tobin might say. 

“Ah,” Tobin shrugs a little, going up on one elbow, looking at her, “honestly I don’t always sleep real well,” she says quietly, “I didn’t keep you up or anything, did I?” she cringes a little. 

“No,” Christen answers, “just once,” she says, carefully choosing her words, “it seemed like you were having a nightmare,” 

“I was,” Tobin admits, “I usually do,” she says, moving and lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling. “Some nights aren’t that bad,” she says, “sometimes I can’t sleep at all.” 

“I’m sorry,” Christen says sincerely, “that must be frustrating.” 

“It is,” Tobin nods, still not looking at her, “I don’t like to take pills, but some nights I just have to.” 

Christen is silent, feeling Tobin will share more. She’s right. 

“My therapist and I have been trying to figure out something,” she continues, “and even my regular doc is involved.” 

“I’m sorry it’s so difficult for you,” Christen says tentatively, “but I’m proud you’re working on trying to find a healthy solution and not, like, just drink a lot or something,”

Tobin turns her head to look at look at her, her eyes reading Christen’s face, searching for her sincerity. 

“Thanks,” she says, “I guess I’m a work in progress,” she grins wryly at her. 

Christen chuckles, “We all are,” she says, rolling to her stomach and getting up on her elbows, “I know we’ve only known each other for a few days,” she says, “but I am proud of you. It takes a lot of courage to seek help, that’s not something a lot of people do,” 

There’s a faint smile on Tobin’s face and she suddenly moves to come face to face with Christen. 

“Thanks,” she says softly, smiling at her and leaning forward with her lips puckered. Christen gives her a kiss, then smiles back at her. 

Once again, they find themselves staring at each other for a full minute, both with little smiles on their faces. 

“Why don’t you stay here,” Christen suggests, “I’m going to use the bathroom and then come back with the room service menu. We can eat and then just lay around,” 

“Sounds good,” Tobin agrees, “you’re meeting your team tonight, right?” 

Christen nods, “Yes, they’ll be here around five, we’ll do dinner and meet and probably get to work tonight.” 

“Okay,” Tobin nods. 

Christen does her business and comes back flopping on the bed. They make their selections and Christen places their order. While she’s doing that, Tobin goes to the bathroom, using the toilet and washing her face, brushing her teeth and putting in her contacts. 

They eat a leisurely breakfast, plates on the coffee table, watching some holiday movie. 

“I’m day shift tomorrow, do you think you’d be free for dinner?” Tobin asks, sipping on her tea. 

“Most likely,” Christen nods, “tonight we’ll being doing an overview and then get started on the numbers. Tomorrow Kelley and Julie will crunch them and see if we can get a handle of the balance sheets.” She explains. 

Tobin wrinkles her nose, “That doesn’t sound like fun,” she says. 

“It is for them,” Christen laughs, “they love figuring out puzzles.” 

It doesn’t take long before they’re making out on the couch, Christen on top of Tobin. They eventually fall asleep again, waking around three. Tobin finally gets dressed, changing out of the borrowed sweats and t-shirt from Christen and heads back to her cabin. 

Christen showers and readies herself to meet Kelley and Julie. 

XXXX

Kelley texts her when she lands, then while they’re on the road, then while they’re checking in. They decide to meet in the lobby, so Christen makes her way there. 

“Christen!” Kelley exclaims, giving her a hug, then she holds her at arms length, looking her over critically, “Hmm,” she evaluates, glancing at Julie, who is also looking at Christen just as shrewdly, “something’s different, Jules, don’t you think?” 

“I do,” Julie grins, “not got laid different, but definitely something,” 

“Julie!” Christen is scandalized, “We’re in public!” She hisses, looking around and seeing Emily at the desk, doing her best to not look up but failing to erase the smile on her face as she looks   
down at her desk, obviously hearing the exchange. 

“You’ve met someone,” Julie says, her voice quieter, “didn’t you?” 

Christen bites her lower lip, crossing her arms and trying to look stern. Then she can’t contain herself, nodding profusely. 

“Atta girl!” Kelley exclaims, then hooks her arm within Christen’s, “Tell us all about it at dinner,” she instructs, “I’m starving!” 

Christen looks at both of them, then smiles widely, “Right this way,” she says cheerily and leads them to the restaurant. 

XXXX 

When Tobin sits down in Lauren’s office, her full intention is to talk to her about what’s going on with the resort. She had no idea they were in any financial trouble. But Lauren begins asking about Christen and what’s happening with her. That leads to a full on conversation on how Tobin feels about spending time with her. Then Lauren mentions sex and Tobin doesn’t know exactly how she feels about it yet. 

“Do you think it’s too soon?” Tobin asks, “To sleep together?” The low squawk of the rescue radio providing background noise. Lauren’s preparing to meet Christen in a half an hour in the small conference room they cleared for them to work in. 

“I can’t answer that, Tobs,” Lauren replies truthfully, “I think you just need to feel if it’s right for you or not,” 

Tobin nods and sips her tea, “You’re right,” she's beginning to think it's not too soon at all. 

Lauren leans forward in her chair, “And?” 

Tobin just gives her a sly grin and a wink. 

Lauren smiles, “Atta girl,” she says. 

XXXX

Tobin is lying on her stomach in bed, writing in her journal and feeling emotional when her phone rings. She grabs it off the headboard above her, smiling when she sees Christen’s name. 

“Hi,” she greets, the smile still on her face. 

“Hi,” Christen replies, “you weren’t sleeping already were you?” 

“Nah,” Tobin says, “I’m in bed, but I was just journaling,” she explains, “how was your day?” 

“It was good,” Christen states, “Kelley and Julie want to meet you sometime soon, so maybe we can get together while they’re here.” 

“That sounds cool,” Tobin agrees easily, “maybe they can join us for dinner tomorrow, I’m working days for the next week,” 

“Great!” Christen exclaims, “maybe you can suggest somewhere cool to go off the mountain,” 

“Yeah, sure,” Tobin agrees, “that would be cool,” she says, “I’ll check out some places and see if there’s live music or something cool,” 

“That would be awesome,” Christen says. She hears Tobin yawn. 

“Well,” Christen says, “I just wanted to hear your voice before I went to sleep,” 

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Tobin smiles, “I like hearing your voice before I go to bed too,” 

“I hope you sleep tonight,” Christen sincerely, “and I’m really looking forward to dinner tomorrow.” 

“So am I,” Tobin says, Christen hearing Tobin’s excitement, “I hope both of our days go fast,” 

“Me too,” Christen agrees, “goodnight, Tobin,” she says softly.

“Thanks for calling,” Tobin says, “really. Goodnight, Chris,” 

They end the call, both of them in their separate beds, smiling broadly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kind comments. Hope you're enjoying it.


	6. Connecting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The feelings are growing stronger between Christen and Tobin. A dinner date at Tobin's cabin seals the deal.

Friday, December 27th 

“Lift on three,” Tobin orders, “One, two, three,” she lifts the head of the backboard up and transfers the injured skier onto the sled.

Allie spreads a blanket out and covers the woozy male, tucking the blanket in around him, while Tobin explains what hospital the ambulance will take him to his concerned friends. 

“Ready?” Tobin asks, looking over to Allie, who is making sure the immobilizer for his head is secure.

“Go,” she orders, picking up her backpack and slinging it on. She steps into her skis, “I’ll be right behind you,” she says to Tobin, who starts the snowmobile. Tobin pulls away slowly, making sure the ride is smooth down the slope. 

Allie turns to the small group, “Alright, does one of you want to go with to the hospital?” she asks, looking at them. 

“I’ll go,” a woman volunteers, she turns to the others, “you guys get changed and come up with the car, okay?” 

They nod, one of the other women in the group hugs her, “I’ll bring you clothes and stuff,” she says. 

“Okay, come with me,” Allie says, “he should be okay, but we want to be absolutely certain there’s no neck injuries,” 

“Yeah, okay,” the young woman says shakily. 

Allie pushes off and leads her down the mountain. 

Once they’ve loaded the injured male and the female friend onto the ambulance, Allie sets her pack on a nearby table. She radios in the supplies she’ll need up to HQ until the ambulance squad re-supplies them later. 

Tobin is sitting on the table, cleaning her ski goggles. 

“So,” Allie says, “how’s it going with Christen?” 

“Really good,” Tobin smiles, “she’s pretty cool.” 

“Good,” Allie smiles, “Are you seeing her for lunch?” 

“Nah,” Tobin says, “She’s working, her coworkers came in to help review the numbers or something.” 

Allie nods. 

“But we have a dinner date tonight,” Tobin grins. 

“And what are you doing? Going somewhere?” Allie inquires. 

“Well, I was thinking,” she says, “if she’s been pouring over numbers all day, maybe just having a casual night would be good. Like, maybe she would stress out a little about having to dress up and stuff and she’s been here a while, so maybe a home cooked meal would be cool.” 

“That’s pretty smooth, Harry,” Allie grins at her, “and thoughtful.” 

“Well, I get the impression that it’s hard for her to relax, you know?” Tobin says, kicking at the snow, “And I just want her to take it easy,” she shrugs, “she gets stressed out a lot, and her job is stressful too.” 

“Well, it sounds perfect,” Allie smiles, “what are you making?” 

“Ah, salmon and rice and a veggie.” Tobin shrugs nonchalantly.

“Ooh, your specialty!” Allie wiggles her eyebrows at her. 

“Knock it off,” Tobin grins, “I just know she’ll like it, she’s had salmon here before.” 

“ALL this is HQ, over.” Dawn’s voice crackles over her radio. 

“HQ, you got ALL, over,” Allie replies. 

“ALL, calls for multiple skiers down on west side of Black slope, over.” 

“HQ, ALL is at ground base, will proceed up lift to Black slope, over.” She answers. “Looks like it’s gonna be that kind of day,” she sighs, “I’ll see you there.” 

Tobin nods at her. “HQ to TPH, over.” Her radio squawks. 

“TPH to HQ, over,” 

“TPH proceed Black slope, calls for multiple skiers down. West side, over.” 

“HQ, TPH at ground base, proceeding there now, over.” Tobin responds. 

“Roger that TPH, over and out.” 

Tobin jumps on her machine while Allie pushes off on her skis, both of their radios continuing to buzz calling in other Rescue Squad members. 

Tobin texts Christen while she’s having lunch. She asks her if salmon is cool for dinner, just on the off chance she had it for dinner last night or maybe lunch today. She hasn’t, much to Tobin’s relief. 

The rest of her day is much calmer than her exciting morning. 

XXX

“So, let me get this straight,” Kelley clarifies as they sit a table for breakfast, “you actually said yes when Snow Angel asked you to dinner?” 

“I did.” Christen replies, proud she’s not blushing, but internally cringing that she shared the snow angel thing with the two of them. 

“And you spent Christmas with her and went snowshoeing?” Julie asks incredulously. 

“I did.” Christen says smiles broadly. 

Both Kelley and Julie beam at her. 

“I’m so proud of you!” Julie gushes, “Look at you, trying new things and being so brave.” 

Christen can’t erase the smile from her face. “I really like her,” she admits, “she’s so effortlessly cool and calm and likes to have fun,” she shakes her head, “and she’s thoughtful and kind and, and,” she shakes her head again, “complex.” 

Both Kelley and Julie nod, encouraging her to continue. 

“She just brings out something in me,” Christen says, “like she makes me willing to try and not be scared, you know?” 

“Yes,” Julie smiles at her, “and that’s wonderful.” 

“Okay, we need to review what’s happening here,” Christen declares, deciding to change the subject before they start asking too many questions and getting them back on track. 

They meet with Alex in the conference room, setting up their laptops and adding machines and getting for their audit. 

Christen is pleased with how friendly Alex is, glad Julie and Kelley didn’t have to face her fierce side. The morning flies by and the mood shifts when it becomes apparent that money is shifting around in an unethical manner. As soon it was revealed, Alex offered to recuse herself from further assistance, offering up her laptop and keys to her desk and files. She wanted to be completely forthcoming that she had no involvement with any of the curious activity. Lauren was called in, Christen trying to break the news as gently as she could, suggesting a full audit to check the balances of the reports turned in to the tax preparer. They begin to outline an audit action plan and once it’s complete, break for a quick lunch. The rest of the afternoon moves just as quickly and soon Christen’s phone chimes with her reminder it’s time to prepare for her evening with Tobin. 

She bids good night to the three of them, ignoring the catcalls Kelley gives her on her way out the door. 

She texts Tobin as she walks to her room inquiring about the dress code for their evening. She smiles when Tobin texts back a photo of herself in a loose sweatshirt and jeans, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. My cabin. Whenever. Casual. 

Perfect, Christen thinks, relieved tonight isn’t something dressy. She eagerly opens her door and enters her room, kicking her heels off and heading for her bedroom. 

“Hi!” Christen greets as Tobin opens her door, “these are for you!” she eagerly thrusts a small handful of flowers wrapped in plastic at her. 

“Hi!” Tobin laughs, taking the flowers and letting her in, “thank you!” She appreciatively smells the flowers and then sets them down on the table close by, then helps Christen out of her coat. 

She sets the coat on the back of a kitchen chair, walking back with her arms extended for a hug. 

Christen willingly moves into her arms, reveling in the strength and security she feels and holding her close. Tobin’s hugs are far better than her Dad’s hugs, she realizes, as she breathes deeply, inhaling Tobin’s scent and feeling herself relax. Yeah, this hug is amazing. 

Tobin’s feeling just as content with this hug, Christen’s hugs make her feel safe. Like she can be herself, as broken and confused as she is. She makes her feel that it’s okay to not be okay. And she really, really appreciates it. 

They break apart slightly, only to kiss each other sweetly. 

“How was your day?” Tobin asks, giving her a soft smile. 

“It was..” Christen shakes her head rapidly, “intense,” she says, “lots of numbers.” 

“Ew,” Tobin shivers and makes a face, “yuck.” She grins, “Well, guess what?”

“What?” Christen grins at her, looking at her expectantly. 

“There will be no calculations here this evening,” Tobin announces with a playful smile, one hand rubbing Christen’s back. 

“Good,” Christen nods, “I feel like I can’t see straight anymore.” 

Tobin leads her to her couch, gesturing for her to sit down. “May I get you a glass of wine?” 

“Yes, please,” Christen replies, taking a seat in the middle of the couch. 

Tobin places a hand on Christen’s shoulder as she leans over the back of the couch to hand her the glass, she gives her shoulder a little squeeze. “Here,” 

Christen takes the glass, “Thanks,” she takes a sip, slowly realizing that Tobin is softly rubbing her shoulder. 

“You’re super tight,” Tobin says observes as her hand still rubs her shoulder. 

“Yeah,” Christen acknowledges, “it’s from sitting bent over for so long,” she takes a breath, “would you rub it out?” She turns back to look at Tobin. Tobin is looking at her, clearly amused. 

“You want me to rub it out?” she chuckles. 

Now it’s Christen’s turn to cover her face in embarrassment. She feels Tobin’s hand leave her shoulder and looks up when Tobin stands beside her. “If you sit on the floor, I can sit there,” she says. 

Christen slides off the couch, chuckling now at her poor choice of words. Tobin steps over her and sits down, reaching over and pulling the soft blanket off the back of the couch. She drapes it around Christen, creating a warm cocoon for her. 

Christen leans forward, exposing her neck and shoulders to her. Then she feels Tobin’s soft, warms hands on her neck, instantly setting her at ease. Tobin is silent as she massages her neck and shoulders, not wanting to speak to break the spell of intimacy they have right now. 

She can feel Christen’s muscles grow softer, losing the rigidity they held. She works on a particularly tight knot and Christen moans. Tobin feels her body stirring at the sound. She focuses on naming the muscles she’s working on, trying to let her horniness pass from the noises Christen’s making. 

She continues on for a few more minutes, satisfied by how Christen feels like putty in her hands. 

“Come here,” Christen gestures, turning her head sideways. Tobin bends down, “Yeah?” 

“Kiss me,” Christen says, her voice needy and without hesitation, Tobin does. It starts soft, but the need they feel soon has them passionately kissing, tongues twisting. Tobin breaks away, hooking her hands under Christen’s armpits, pulling her up on her lap. Christen wraps her arms around Tobin, seeking her again, kissing her hard. 

After a few minutes, Christen moves and is soon straddling Tobin, looking down at her with blazing eyes. Tobin brings her hands up and cups both of Christen’s breasts. Christen goes in for the kill. She drops one hand caresses Tobin’s jaw, while her other hand finds her breast. 

Tobin moans into Christen’s mouth, making her jerk her hips against her. They continue to kiss and feel each other up, indulging in how good it feels. When they take a breath for air, Christen pulls back. 

They’re both panting, chests heaving, looking at each with lust. Tobin slowly moves her hands from Christen’s chest, letting them rest on the tops of Christen’s thighs. She grins at her. 

“Woah,” she says, blinking rapidly, “uh, that was,” 

“Yeah,” Christen agrees, shaking her head and then leaning forward and kissing Tobin’s forehead. She slowly moves from her lap, Tobin hearing her stomach growl. 

“Dinner?” she asks with a chuckle. 

“Yeah,” Christen says, “let me help though, I miss cooking.” 

“Sure,” Tobin easily agrees, “come on,” she taps on her thighs and they leave the couch. 

Tobin’s kitchen is small, leaving the two working side by side as Tobin pulls item from the fridge and sets them on the counter. As they prepare the meal, Christen nudges her shoulder. 

“Was that okay?” she asks quietly, her eyes searching Tobin for any sign of anxiety.

Tobin tilts her head as she studies Christen, then she gives her a soft smile, “It felt…right,” she says quietly. 

“It did to me, too,” Christen agrees, setting the knife down and leaning against the counter, “but I live in LA and you live here,” 

Tobin mimics her position and leans against the counter, “Would it be unfair of me to ask you to consider just enjoying this now and we can figure things out later, whatever they may be?” 

Christen thinks about Tobin’s statement, dropping her eyes and looking at the worn wood floor. Maybe she should, just let things go and not analyze the implications of how this could end or extend into something more. 

She looks up at her, giving her a little smile, “Like, just go with the flow?” 

Tobin shrugs, “Yeah,” she says, “I mean, I know how structured you like everything to be,” she says, “and there’s a lot of positives in living that way, don’t get me wrong,” she nods earnestly, “but maybe, just maybe, letting go and allowing yourself the joy in that freedom wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Christen’s eyes go wide, she takes a step back and lets out a laugh as she shakes her head, “Wow!” she says, looking at her, “Get out of my head!” 

“It’s not like that,” Tobin says, “I didn’t mean to, like, offend you or anything,” 

“No,” Christen shakes her head, “you didn’t,” she steps closer to Tobin, “you just really know how I am,” 

“Hey,” Tobin lets her fingers trail on Christen’s upper arm, “it’s not a bad thing, being structured, but you said it yourself, you’re at a place in your life where you’re rethinking things about yourself,” she squeezes her arm gently, “finding yourself.” 

Christen smiles at her, “And you’re feeling okay with this?” she asks, “not knowing where this could lead?” 

“Yeah, I am,” she nods, “because one thing I’ve learned is that you never know if some people enter your life for a season or a lifetime,” she says slowly, “and I’ve been slowly realizing that even as painful and awful as it is that Morgan died, maybe my time with her was to learn to from her and all the gifts she shared with me.” 

“Tobin,” Christen whimpers, tears building in her eyes, moving close and wrapping an arm around her waist.

“You know,” Tobin nods, “Morgan was a lot like you,” she gives her a sad smile with watery eyes, “she was very organized, always wanted to have a plan, she always kept reminding of what we had to do, where we had to go,” she shakes her head. “She challenged me, encouraged me to go for the paramedic classes, to ignore the bigots in the department,” 

“She sounds like quite a woman,” Christen says quietly, wiping her eyes. She glances over and sees Tobin doing the same.

“Yeah,” Tobin sighs, “she was,” she looks at Christen carefully, “you’re pretty amazing too,” she says, dropping her eyes and shifting her weight. 

“So are you,” Christen says sincerely. Tobin’s stomach growls, making her squeak out a laugh. “Should we get back to this?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin agrees, “otherwise we’ll starve to death from talking,” she gives her a closed mouth smile. 

“Come here,” Christen orders, and hugs her tight, “thank you,” she says, her voice hushed and full of emotion, “you have a way of reminding me to let go, and I appreciate that so much.” Her stomach own growls loudly and Tobin laughs, lifting her head from Christen’s shoulder, her eyes not as cloudy as before, a true smile on her face. 

“Let’s get this going,” she suggests and they get back to preparing their meal. 

“Tobin,” Christen says as she reaches for her water glass, “this salmon is so fresh,” 

Tobin nods, “My friend sent me some when she went fishing in Alaska,” she explains, “the place she was at would filet it, flash freeze it and then ship it out.” 

“Wow!” Christen nods, “it’s tremendous,” she says, taking another bite, “like a restaurant.” 

“So, um,” Tobin toys with her fork, “Emily texted me a while ago, asking if Kelley is single,” she says with her eyebrows raised, “like, three times.” 

Christen smiles widely, “She is,” she nods, “I thought the two of them would hit it off,”

“Are you playing matchmaker?” Tobin asks her, looking amused. 

Christen shrugs, “They just seem like they’d get along,” 

Tobin just nods, finishing her meal. 

“She is single,” Christen clarifies, “so you can text her back.” 

“I will,” Tobin grins and shakes her head, showing her upper teeth as she bites her lower lip, “she seems kind of eager,” 

“Well, Kelley is pretty outgoing,” Christen explains, “I wonder if they met at check in,” she muses. She takes her last bite and pushes her plate away from her herself. “That was really, really good.” 

“Well,” Tobin grins at her, “your suggestion on the rice was awesome,” 

Christen leans forward across the table, “You know what I would like to do?” she asks her with a smile. 

“What would that be?” Tobin is still grinning. 

“I’d like to cook dinner for you, sometime soon,” Christen says determinedly. 

“I’d like that,” Tobin nods, “we’ll make it happen,” 

“And,” Christen adds, “I’d really like to check out Portland if we can,” 

“We can do that,” Tobin smiles, “I can show you some places,” she raises her eyebrows as a thought occurs to her, “we could go in town with your friends,” 

“We could,” Christen nods, “but I’d also like one day of just you and me,” 

“I would enjoy that tremendously,” Tobin says and stands up, taking her plate. Christen follows and meets her in the kitchen, elbowing her out of the way to wash the dishes. 

Christen feels this weird sensation run through her as they complete the domestic chore. This feels comfortable, as if they’ve had dinner and done the dishes together for years. With the music playing softly in the background, the easy conversation about live music as wash and dry the dishes. It feels right. 

As Tobin hands off the clean plate to Christen and their fingers touch, she feels as if she was shocked by an electrical outlet. She hopes Christen didn’t feel her jolt back, she hopes she didn’t come across as jittery or nervous, she was anything but that. She felt…peaceful. For the first time in a long time, she felt content, as if this was a completely normal night for her. 

She smiles at Christen as she hands her over the second plate, “I’m really glad you’re here,” she says, “this has been really nice,” 

Christen beams back at her, “You don’t know how much I appreciate coming here instead of going out tonight,” she admits to her, “it’s just so much more relaxing,” 

“I figured whatever you’d be doing today would be kind of intense and I didn’t want you to stress about getting dressed up or anything,” Tobin confesses, “I just wanted a simple night,” 

“Well,” Christen smiles at her, “I love it, thank you,” she leans over and kisses her softly. 

Soon they’re sitting on the couch, talking, then making out once again. Things begin to escalate and they’re feeling each other up, Tobin with her hands gripping Christen’s ass as she straddles her, Christen massaging Tobin’s breasts as they passionately kiss. 

Tobin is placing delicate kisses on Christen’s neck, “Tobin,” Christen says, her voice filled with lust and want and need, “take me to bed,” 

It feels natural and right to Tobin and it’s easy for her to slide themselves forward to the edge of the cushion and, in a display of impressive strength, she tightens her hold on Christen’s ass and rises from the couch. Christen attaches her mouth to Tobin’s neck, sucking lightly during the short trip to the bedroom. Tobin sits on the edge of the bed with Christen still on her lap. 

They kiss again and Christen feels Tobin’s long fingers finding the hem of her sweater. Christen raises her arms to allow the sweater to come, hearing how Tobin’s breathing increases. 

They look at each other in the dim light filtering in from the living room light through the open bedroom door as Christen reaches behind her back and unfastens her bra, letting it fall to the side on the floor. Tobin’s eyes go to Christen’s breasts, her mouth dropping open, then licking her lips and leaning forward to place a kiss tenderly on the upper half on her right breast. 

Christen tugs impatiently on Tobin’s sweatshirt, rolling her eyes as she watches Tobin pull it up while keeping her mouth on her breast. She whips it over her head and then immediately goes back to placing her lips on the puckered skin around Christen’s breast, nipping at it softly. 

Christen steps off her lap and stands before her, slowly stripping off her leggings and underwear. She sits next to her and takes off her socks. She looks at Tobin who is staring at her. 

“Ahem,” Christen nods at her, her eyebrows raised. 

“Oh, yeah,” Tobin says quickly, rolling onto her back, unfastening her jeans and pushing on them with her underwear down her legs then rolling to sit up, pulling the garments from her lower legs and whipping off her socks. She wiggles her eyebrows at Christen who laughs out loud. 

Tobin slowly crawls higher up on the bed, “Come here,” she says, her voice low and sultry and Christen follows eagerly. She slides on top of Tobin, the two moaning softly at the sensation of feeling skin on skin. Tobin moves her leg in between Christen’s and starts an agonizingly slow, teasing pace. 

Christen brings a hand to Tobin’s breast, massaging it roughly and then rocking her hips as she pulls on the nipple. 

“Mmmph,” Tobin moans, twisting herself beneath Christen, rolling them over so she’s on top. Their mouths connect again, tasting, exploring, their pace urgent and needy. Tobin’s hands glide over Christen’s sides and then up again, one caressing a breast, the other seeking Christen’s hand and gripping it tightly. 

Tobin moves down, kissing Christen’s hot skin, letting her tongue make soft trails in the valley between her breasts. Both of her hands are on Christen’s breasts, gently, ever so gently caressing them. She moves her head lower, a hand leaving a breast, her tongue replacing it, teasing the nipple. 

Christen is breathing heavy, feeling the wetness pool, her insides blazing, her skin hot. Tobin is setting her on fire in the most passionate way. Tobin’s touches are so gentle, her skin against her body is silky smooth. She moves her hands to run them down her back, feeling her strong defined shoulder muscles. She had no idea Tobin was so incredibly fit. 

“Can I taste you?” Tobin whispers, her voice low.

“Yes,” Christen replies, arching her back as she feels Tobin’s hot breath on her thigh. 

“I want to please you,” Tobin murmurs, “you’re so beautiful,” her voice muffled by the nearness she is to Christen’s center. 

The first lick is long and slow, making Christen emit a moan much louder than she ever has, her toes curling, her hands bunching up the blanket and gripping it tightly. Tobin continues with these long slow licks, Christen’s hips rocking to extend the pleasure she’s feeling. 

“Mmmm,” Christen moans as Tobin begins to move up and focus on her clit, bringing her close to orgasm. Christen begins to moan louder, her hips moving faster, when she feels Tobin slowing down, not letting her get off. 

She slows her pace, going back to the long slow licks, making Christen ache to lose herself again. She builds her up, quickening her movements, bringing her to the edge, only to back off once more. 

“Tobin!” Christen cries out, “Please!” she begs, her hips moving wildly, searching for and friction to quell the burning desire racing through her body. 

Once more, Tobin resorts to the long, slow passes through her slit, “You taste amazing,” she murmurs, massaging Christen’s thigh with one hand. She quickens her pace, rapidly making Christen nearly scream in pleasure, barreling her closer to her release. She gets her there, unfairly holding her on the precipice for as long as she can, then sucking on her clit, swirling her   
tongue around it as Christen explodes in her mouth, sending a rush of her juices over her. 

“Oh God!” Christen cries out, jerking off the bed, her body buzzing, feeling that tingle of a thousand needles burning through her and then the incredible sensation washing over her. She melts into the mattress, limp and weak, her legs twitching.

Tobin slowly moves up along her body, plying her skin with kisses, sucking on her hip bone, licking the skin that’s slick with misted sweat. She positions herself alongside Christen, up on one elbow, looking down at her, using two fingers to move back some wild hairs coming down across Christen’s face. 

She’s breathing as heavily as Christen is, her eyes moving along the Christen’s body, taking in her hardened nipples, standing at attention, her rib cage moving rapidly as she tries to catch her breath. 

It takes much effort for Christen to turn her head to face her, her mouth open seeking air, her lips curling into a smile. 

Tobin smiles back at her, even in the dimness of the room, Christen can see the affectionate expression on her face. 

When Christen has regained some semblance of respiratory control she speaks. “Kiss me,” She demands and Tobin leans down to kiss her softly, sweetly. She slides onto her side, their heads sharing a pillow, Tobin’s eyes never leaving Christen’s face, the soft smile still on her own. 

“That was incredible,” Christen breathes out softly, bringing her now functioning hand up to caress Tobin’s face, “lay back, hon,” she says, “I want to make you feel good,” 

Tobin easily falls on her back, Christen rolling over to lean against her, her hand running along Tobin’s abdomen, feeling the ridges of her muscles. She moves her hand up, her fingertips feeling her ribcage, then moving to her sternum, circling just above her breasts. She leans forward and kisses her, her tongue seeking Tobin’s, twisting and turning around each other. 

Her hand drops to take Tobin’s breast, her fingers massaging it gently. Tobin moans into her mouth, her hand caressing Christen’s back, spreading her legs involuntarily. Christen moves over and slots herself within her legs, her center just touching Tobin’s, grinding on it slowly, feeling sparks of pleasure race through her. 

Both of Tobin’s hands grip Christen’s ass, guiding her against her, slowly rubbing their cores against each other in bliss. 

After a few minutes, Christen takes control, bringing Tobin’s hands up next to her head, interlocking their fingers as she kisses her hard while grinding on her. Tobin moans again, her hips trying to move Christen’s as she teases her. 

While still holding her hands, Christen slowly moves to her neck, gently sucking and biting and working her way down to her collarbone where she bites her a little harder and then covers it with a searing kiss. She moves down lower, taking a breast in her mouth, flicking the nipple with her teeth, then biting it gently, pulling on it with her teeth. 

Tobin whines, her hips undulating beneath Christen, her breathing becoming rapid. Christen uses her tongue to lick her abs, finally releasing her hands, feeling one of Tobin’s gently cupping her head. She continues to suck on Tobin’s hot skin, going lower, kissing her left thigh, sucking on it hard enough to leave a mark. 

“Chris,” Tobin groans, “please,” she whimpers full of need. 

“Can I use my fingers?” Christen asks quietly, firmly massaging her thigh with one hand while the other is ghosting over her center. 

“Yes,” Tobin squirms, “please,” she pleads. 

Christen hovers her mouth over Tobin’s center, blowing on it, feeling Tobin’s hips shift, she takes her first taste, reveling in her earthy flavor. Tobin’s wet and her skin is blazing under Christen’s touch. Christen moans as she lightly sucks on Tobin’s clit, hearing Tobin’s whimpers impassion her to make her moan louder. She continues to feast on her, loving how she can manipulate Tobin, she’s so responsive to her touch. 

She sets a slow pace, Tobin matching her movements, using her tongue to enter her, making her groan loudly. 

When Christen moves up to focus on her clit, Tobin can’t control her movements. She’s struggling not to jerk her hips, her legs are beginning to tremble, she doesn’t know what to do. She raises her arms to grip the headboard, her breathing rapid. 

The feeling of Christen sucking on her clit sends her over the edge, making Tobin arch her back, letting out an extended moan. She feels as that delicious tingling sensation spreads from her center to her whole body, feeling as she release occurs, flooding her with euphoria. 

Christen is still in between her legs, her fingers circling Tobin’s opening, watching how Tobin relaxes back onto the mattress. “You know,” she says quietly, “you really teased me,” she smirks. 

“Huh?” Tobin asks dazedly, barely lifting her head from the pillow. 

Christen enters her with two fingers, slowly easing in and out, “This is paybacks for the teasing,” she wiggles her eyebrows at her, going up on an elbow, putting her weight on Tobin’s leg. 

“Oh,” Tobin arches her back again, so sensitive from just minutes before. 

Christen increases her pace, sliding in and out faster, Tobin moaning with every thrust entering her. “Not fair,” Tobin pants out. 

This feels so amazing, she doesn’t think she can come again, not this quick, but she feels the tingling from her center spread across her body, her hips are moving in rhythm with Christen’s measured cadence. She moves her hands from the headboard to gather the blankets in her fists, her head pulling up as she feels the next wave beginning to consume her. 

It overtakes her when Christen stills her fingers within her, then furiously curls them inside her. 

“Oh, fuck!” Tobin exclaims, clamping her eyes shut, “Oh, God!” Her chin is on her chest, her mouth hanging open with no air entering her. She’s seeing stars with her eyes shut, shooting everywhere, like an explosion of white dots as every muscle flexes as she barrels towards her orgasm. 

When it hits, she flings her head back, the delicious release flooding her senses. She’s gulps in a big breath, exhaling loudly with a groan that makes Christen feel herself growing wet once again. 

Tobin goes limp, panting as her chest heaves, mouth open, eyes closed, exhausted. Her legs occasionally twitch as she feels the random aftershocks shoot through her. Christen licks her fingers as she takes in the sight lying before her. She could get used to this, she nods to herself. Sure, this was the first time she’s had sex with someone in a year, but she knows that this was the best sex she’s ever had. How Tobin worked her body, how she brought her so close before finally letting her release, she nods again, yeah, she’s the best she’s ever had. 

Tobin’s mind is blank, she feels like she’s floating in this pleasant cloud of happiness. She swallows and lets out a huge sigh, blinking her eyes rapidly as she comes back to the present. She smiles as she looks up and sees Christen smiling down at her. Tobin moves her fingers to softly touch the front of Christen’s thigh, “Holy shit,” she says, her smile growing wider, “that was…” she shakes her head. 

She moves her arm out to the side, “Come here,” she suggests, “snuggle with me,” 

“Can we get under the covers?” Christen asks, “I’m getting a little cold now,” 

“Oh, sure,” Tobin says, struggling to get up and laughing at her inability to move properly, “you wore me out, woman!” 

Christen giggles as she slides off the bed, turning down the covers. “Oh, wait!” she says, as Tobin slowly climbs in, “I’ll be right back,” she nods to her. 

She comes back in the small bedroom holding her phone, “You don’t mind if I stay here tonight, do you?” she asks timidly, looking steadily at Tobin. 

Tobin’s eyes go wide, “I, uh,” she sits up, leaning in her hands, “yes,” she nods, “I mean, I guess I just assumed you would,” 

“Oh, good,” Christen sighs in relief, slipping under the covers and snuggling against her, “I just didn’t want to, um,” she stops. 

Tobin chuckles, “We’re being awkward,” she says, rolling on her side and pulling Christen close to her, “there’s no need,” 

“You’re right,” Christen agrees, settling herself next to her, “a short rest and we’re doing this again, right?” 

“Oh, for sure!” Tobin laughs, kissing her softly, “Absolutely!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the kudos and comments- keep em coming. The next few chapters are going to really take things to another level, so be prepared for the ride.


	7. The Afterglow and New Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin and Christen's friend learn they got together in the morning. Tobin get called out on a rescue for a missing hiker. Christen worries as a storm moves in.

Saturday, December 28th 

When Christen enters the conference room, she tries her best to remain as if everything is normal and nothing happened with her and Tobin last night. She fails miserably.   
In her rush to meet them on time, she showered at Tobin’s which led to another round of sex, then she hastily threw on her clothes and headed back to the hotel. Her and Tobin were up most of the night exploring each other’s bodies resulting in neither of them getting much sleep at all. 

They both were feeling that happy exhaustion, the kind that only comes after a night of multiple rounds of sex and maybe an hour of sleep. Tobin made a hasty breakfast, understanding that Christen had to leave quickly, Christen lingering at her door making out with her. 

“I feel bad that you have to work,” Tobin apologized, “we should have gotten more sleep,” 

“Don’t worry,” Christen said, kissing her softly, “I should be done after lunch and maybe we could nap then, okay?” 

“Okay,” Tobin smiled, “that’s a plan.” 

Christen finally opened the cabin door, the rush of cold air making them both shiver, “I’ll see you later.” 

XXXX

“Well, someone’s got that ‘I just got laid’ look this morning!” Kelley exclaims as she eyes Christen up and down. 

Christen blushes and refuses to make eye contact. 

“How was dinner?” Julie asks with a grin. 

Christen looks up and sees Alex eying her curiously, making her blush even deeper. 

“It was fine,” she dismisses, “where are we with this?” she waves her hand at the papers on the table. 

“Oh, no,” Kelley says, “you’re not getting off the hook that easy,” 

“So, did you do it with Snow Angel?” Julie asks eagerly, her eyes dancing. 

“Snow Angel?” Alex asks, arching an eyebrow at Christen. After reviewing the tax paperwork, Kelley and Julie assured Lauren and Christen there was no way Alex could be involved in whatever was happening with the books. Without saying it outright, it was looking more and more that a certain accountant was, in fact, embezzling from the resort. They wanted Alex’s help and Alex wanted to nail Jill for her crime. 

“Tobin,” Kelley explains to her. 

“Tobin?” Alex says, “Hm,” she nods, looking thoughtful. 

“The sooner you tell us, the less we’ll have to interrogate you,” Julie says knowingly. 

She’s right, Christen thinks as she sighs, “Alright,” she says, “let me get some coffee and then I’ll tell you about our night,” she agrees, setting her purse on the table and moving towards the door, “and this morning,” she smirks as she leaves the room. 

XXXX

Full of adrenalin from the night’s activities, Tobin decides to get dressed for the day and head to the hotel. She’s full energy, awake and alert and needing to see Lauren. She’s got to talk to her, to hear her opinion of what happened. She’s feeling pretty good about it and she’s thankful that she didn’t yell out Morgan’s name while they were having sex. The truth was, all she could think of was Christen, her face, her touch, her voice. But there’s something that’s nagging at her, something that she can’t quite put her finger on. 

When she knocks on Lauren’s office door with her elbow while holding two tall cups of coffee, as soon as Lauren opens the door and sees her face, she just grins at her and accepts one of the coffees. Silently she walks to her desk, while Tobin slowly enters behind her. 

“Good morning,” Tobin says as she sits down. 

“Sure looks like it is,” Lauren smiles at her, “you’re glowing,” 

Tobin blushes and looks down at her coffee cup, a small smile on her face fading to a frown. 

“She’s not going to be mad if you’re dating someone, Tobin,” Lauren says understandingly, knowing already what is gnawing at her friend, “she’s not going to think you forgot about Mikey.” 

Tobin looks up sharply, her eyes fearful, suddenly realizing that is what was off with her. “Lauren, I’m terrified she will,” she admits, her voice uneven, tears building in her eyes and threatening to spill. 

“Tobin,” Lauren says, getting out of her chair and sitting on the arm of the chair beside her, “you need to talk to her, okay? She wants to talk to you, she really does,” she says, “she’s so worried about you and she loves you.” 

Tobin wipes her eyes, “I really want to,” she confesses, “I do, but I’m so scared she thinks I let Mikey die or something to save Morgan.” She sniffs, a tear rolling down her cheek. She’s been over this multiple times with her therapist, it is an impasse Tobin just couldn’t overcome. Plus what she overheard the day of the funeral keeps her frozen unable to face her sister. 

“Oh, God, no Tobin,” Lauren pulls her in to hug her, this is the first time she’s hearing why Tobin feels so scared of her sister and hasn’t spoken to her since after the funerals for Morgan and Mikey. “Sweetie, she doesn’t feel that way, I wish you would believe me,” 

Tobin brings the heels of her hands to her eyes, “I want to, I really do,” she admits, “but every time I pick up the phone to call her, I freeze.” 

“I could talk to her,” Lauren offers, she’s been in contact with Perry, who’s been so worried that she checks in with her regularly, “I could set something up for you two to meet somewhere, here if you want.”

Tobin’s Mother speaks with Lauren as well, so worried about her youngest daughter. Tobin does speak with her Mom, nowhere near as often as she used to, but never talks about anything that happened that fateful day. They’d never know of her heroic efforts if it weren’t for the witnesses on the scene and those that helped Tobin with Morgan and Mikey. 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, sniffing and nodding her head, still holding her hands to her face, “yeah, maybe we could meet.” 

“Okay,” Lauren says quietly, rubbing Tobin’s back, “okay.” She gets up and brings Tobin her box of tissues, letting her calm herself and blow her nose and wipe her eyes. 

Once Tobin has composed herself, Lauren smiles brightly at her, “So, I take it, dinner was a success?” 

Tobin smiles at her, nodding again, “Yes, yes, it was.” 

There’s a knock at the door and Alex pops her head in, “Lauren?” she questions, seeing Tobin and smiling widely at her, “Morning, Tobs,” she says in a teasing sing song voice, she looks at Lauren, “those guys want to talk to you.” 

“Have you met Kelley and Julie yet?” Lauren asks Tobin, standing up, seeing Tobin shake her head, “come on and meet them, okay?” 

“Sure,” Tobin says as she stands, “I think we’re all going out on Saturday,” 

“Cool,” Alex says, leading them down the hall. She gives Tobin a side hug as they walk down the hallway, “I’m happy for you,” 

Alex enters first, then Lauren, greeting everyone, and finally Tobin slinks in, suddenly nervous and shy. All it takes is a glance from a smiling Christen and those feelings are gone. 

Julie immediately stands up, extending a hand to her, “Hi, I’m Julie,” she greets, a wide smile on her face, “you must be Tobin,” 

“I am,” she nods, giving her a smile as they shake hands, “nice to meet you,” 

“Snow” Kelley starts but a sharp jab to her ribs from Christen shuts her up. The room looks at Kelley who let out a strangled cry and is trying not to wince in pain.

Christen stands up, “Morning,” she greets, giving her dazzling smile. 

“Hi,” Tobin grins back, both of them feeling they are the only ones in the room. 

“I’m Kelley,” the red head announces, “I’m Christen’s best friend,” 

“Tobin,” she responds warmly, giving her a genuine smile and a fist bump, “nice to meet you,” 

“Do you surf?” Kelley asks, looking at her closely. She notes the Supreme beanie on her head. 

“Yeah, not in a while, but I love it,” Tobin nods, the easy grin still on her face. 

“Skate?” 

“Uh huh,” 

“Like soccer?” Kelley quizzes. 

“Love it,” Tobin’s grin is growing wider, amused by this. She glances at Christen who is rolling her eyes. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” Lauren interrupts, she turns to Tobin, “Sorry, we’ve got to get started here,” 

“That’s cool,” Tobin bobs her head, “nice meeting you two,” she says.

“Dinner tonight?” Julie asks eagerly, a hopeful look on her face. 

“That’d be sweet,” Tobin agrees, she eyes Christen, smiles at her and gives her a head nod “see ya,” 

“Bye,” Christen smiles back, beaming at her as she watches Tobin leave the room. 

Tobin leaves, walking down the hall, amused by the whole interaction with Christen’s friends. She’s still buzzing inside, needing to do something active, but she doesn’t feel like working out or even leaving the resort. Her body is tired but her head won’t let her relax enough for a nap. Not yet. She’ll relax when she’s in Christen’s arms later this afternoon. Sometimes she goes in to Portland and hits up an indoor climbing facility, that would be cool, but she thinks it would be good to check in with Christie and Heather and see if they want a hand with the kids activities. This time of year, with the abundance of families here, they could always use an extra adult to help out. 

XXXX

They’ve just come back from lunch and are settling in before Kelley explains the next phase of their investigation when Christen’s phone chirps. She slides it open and sees a text from Tobin. 

_Tobin: Hey, I need to go into work, I’ll be gone for a few hours looking for a lost hiker. I’ll text you when I get back. I’m sorry if this screws up plans for tonight, I should be back before dinner though._

Christen bites her lower lip, anxious from her message. 

_Christen: I understand- duty calls. Please be safe, stay warm and I hope you find the hiker real quick. <3_

She frowns as she looks at the three little dots blinking at her. 

“What’s wrong?” Julie asks, seeing her worried expression. 

Christen looks up, “Uh, Tobin got called in to do a search for a lost hiker?”

Lauren frowns, glancing out the window as the snow comes down, “Oh man,” she says quietly.

“Does this happen a lot?” Kelley inquires, feeling how upset Christen is, “Is it dangerous?” 

Lauren turns back to look at them, “It happens every once in a while,” she says, nodding her head, “Usually they find their way back or get found in the bar or somewhere perfectly safe.” She bites her lower lip, looking out the window again. 

“What’s wrong?” Christen asks, looking hard at Lauren. 

“There’s a storm coming in,” she says quietly, “but Tobin is a professional,” she says, trying to erase the worry from Christen, “she’ll be fine.” She nods at them, “I bet the search will be over in a couple of hours, no problem.” 

XXXX

“I’m just happy I got to eat lunch,” Tobin admits as she sets the First Aid backpack in the sled on top of the wire basket, “I was going to go take a nap,” she grumbles, strapping in the pack. 

“Did you not get much sleep last night?” Allie teases with a grin, “Up a little late were we?” She gives her a cheesy smile as she hands her the second pack of equipment. This is the rescue pack filled with ropes and harnesses, clothing, tarps and food. Just in case they run into trouble. 

Tobin straps it in the basket, double checking it’s secure. She stands up, “Check it, please,” ignoring Allie’s question. Allie makes sure the load is secure. Two sets of snowshoes are on the bottom with the packs resting on top. An axe is secured under the snowshoes. 

“Secure.” Allie says and follows Tobin into the Rescue cabin. 

“Alright Dawn,” Tobin says, grabbing her helmet, “we’re ready.” 

“Radio check.” Dawn replies. 

They make sure their radios are working. Everything’s good. 

Tobin gives Dawn a head nod, taking a few steps to the large map of the mountain on the far wall. Allie and Dawn join her. 

“Our sector to search is eight.” Tobin points to the farthest west area on the map. “I’m going to take these trails to cut through the woods to dump out in the parking lot right here.” Her finger follows the trails sloping on an angle down to the west side of the resort. “Here’s where we’ll start.” 

Dawn nods. “Okay.” 

“His wife said he’s a photographer,” Tobin continues, “I would think he would head over towards the ravine if he wanted cool ice photos,” 

“Yeah, the thought crossed my mind,” Dawn agrees. 

“Oh, Jesus, I hope he didn’t fall down there,” Allie shakes her head. 

“Let’s pray he hasn’t.” Dawn suggests. 

“Right.” Tobin says, her voice clipped. 

Once outside, Allie settles in behind Tobin on the snowmobile, grumbling into her headset. “Why do you always get to drive?” 

“Because you suck in heavy snow.” Tobin replies as the machine roars to life. 

“Zip it, Harry.” Allie punches the tops of both of Tobin’s thighs before she puts her arms around her waist. 

“Jackass!” Tobin laughs as they begin to move. 

XXXX

“Just take a quick little nap,” Julie urges Christen, “you look like you’re going to pass out.” 

Christen feels like she’s going to pass out, it’s five o’clock and no word from Tobin yet. They’re back at Christen’s room, having worked all day, relaxing before getting some dinner. 

“Okay,” Christen agrees, “you wake me if Lauren texts,” she shoves her phone into Kelleys’ hands. 

“We will,” Kelley replies seriously. Christen was a little distracted ever since learning Tobin was out there on a search. Lauren tried to reassure her everything would be fine, but Lauren’s own concern for the situation didn’t ease anyone’s worries. 

“Nothing yet?” Christen mumbles as she enters the living room, seeing Kelley and Lauren munching on some snacks. It’s almost seven. 

They both shake their heads, faces concerned. Kelley stands up, “Come on,” she says, “let’s go get something to eat and see if we can find Lauren or someone to let us know what’s going on.” 

Christen nods but walks to the window. The snow is blowing sideways, the wind making noise against the window. She notices the lights are on at the slope, but she doesn’t see any skiers. They must have closed them. She squints and realizes the lifts are vacant and unmoving except to swing wildly from side to side. 

Christen hadn’t thought she could nap, not with her mind on Tobin, but as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out. Now she thinks of how tired Tobin must be feeling. She sighs and turns to face them, “Let’s go.” 

XXXX

“What’s that?” Allie says sharply, tapping Tobin’s right shoulder. Tobin stops the machine, turning to look. 

“I don’t know,” she admits, squinting at the reddish color a few hundred yards from them. “Good eyes.” 

“HQ this is Sector 8, over.” Allie radios in. 

“Sector 8 this is HQ, over.” Dawn replies. 

“HQ, we’re going off trail in between the bridge and before the zig zags.” Allie replies, “Spotted something in the woods, going to check it out, over.” The bridge they crossed a large river that was over twenty feet wide. It was a common landmark. 

In the Rescue Cabin, Dawn uses her dry erase pen and marks the location on her laminated Sector map, “Sector 8, HQ copies,” she replies. “Be careful and update, over and out.” 

“HQ, will do, Sector 8 out.” 

After unloading the sled and strapping on the snowshoes, the two trudge through the snow, calling out for Jeremy. When they get close to the colored object, both let out breathes and their shoulders slump. 

“HQ, this is Sector 8, over.” Tobin says into the radio. 

“HQ copies Sector 8, what do you have?” 

“HQ, it’s just part of an old snow fence,” Tobin replies, even over the whipping wind, Dawn can hear the disappointment. 

“Okay Sector 8, HQ copies.” Dawn replies, “Keep me updated.” 

“HQ, Sector 8 copies, over and out.” 

The two make their way back to the snow mobile and sled, shedding the snowshoes and packs and securing it all in place. They get back on the machine and proceed up the path. 

XXXX 

Christen eats the soup she ordered, not having much of an appetite. Dinner is relatively quiet, Kelley and Julie giving her space. 

“So,” Julie nods at her, “you said Tobin was also a firefighter before she started working here?” 

Christen nods, “Yeah, she’s a paramedic, too.” 

“Wow,” Kelley nods, impressed, “and she likes to surf.” 

Christen smiles, “It would be cool to get her to LA and hang out at the beach,” 

“Totally,” Kelley grins, “we could make a day of it,” she says, “bring a grill, eat until we’re stuffed, watch the sunset.” 

“Sounds nice,” Julie agrees, “what does she do during the summer?” 

“She’s a river guide,” Christen says, not being able to help the smile that comes to her face.

“Well, shit!” Julie smiles, “We should come back and do that!” 

“Yeah, I’m sure Zach would love that,” Kelley elbows her. Julie blushes, looking down for a moment, “He is so hot,” she says, “and so nice,” she turns to Kelley, “just like Emily, huh?” 

“Yeah, just like,” Kelley turns to her, “Hey!” 

“I saw you canoodling with her last night at the bar,” Julie eyes her, a wicked grin on her face. 

Kelley straightens up in her chair, wiggling her eyebrows at Christen and Julie, “She’s a real good canoodler.” 

Christen laughs, shaking her head, so grateful for the company of her best friends right now. “Thanks, guys,” she says quietly, “I’m so glad you’re here with me,” 

Julie reaches across the table and grabs her hands, “Anytime,” she says warmly, “she’ll be okay.” 

“Yeah,” Christen nods as she takes a deep breath, “yeah.” 

XXXX

“Pull over,” Allie orders, tapping on Tobin’s shoulders. Tobin slows down the machine and comes to a stop. She turns her head, “What?” 

“Let me drive,” Allie insists, “take a rest, you’re going to make us crash.” 

Tobin slumps her shoulders, hanging her head down, “Sorry,” 

“Hey, it happens,” Allie says as she gets off the machine, Tobin scooting back, “it’s not your fault you didn’t sleep much.” Tobin had begun to verve off the path a little, overcorrecting and   
jerking the machine. 

Allie feels Tobin grip her waist and she starts the machine moving again. It doesn’t take long until she feels Tobin’s helmet up against her back, Tobin’s torso pressing into her. Allie keeps a slow pace, scanning the sides of the path as she proceeds. She can see faint tracks in the snow on the path, hopeful that they’re Jeremy’s but not really counting on it. T.he force of the wind and driving snow is making visibility difficult

They only have an hour of daylight left and then the search will become much more challenging. 

About thirty minutes later, Tobin’s head jerks off Allie, her grip tightening around Allie’s waist. 

“You okay?” Allie asks.

“Yeah,” Tobin croaks, “thanks, Harry,” she says, clearing her throat and sitting more upright in her seat. “Where are we?” 

“Coming up to the ravine,” Allie announces, “about fifty clicks away.” 

“Okay,” Tobin replies, taking a deep breath, clicking on her headlamp to combat the oncoming darkness. 

XXXX 

“Lauren, the weather is deteriorating rapidly,” Dawn says over the phone to her, “I’ve called the Fire Department and Mt. Hood State Park, they agree we should we suspend it.” 

Lauren blows air out of her mouth loudly, running her hand through her head, “Okay,” she says, “it’s your call, I trust you and I certainly don’t want anything to happen to anyone else.” 

“I’ll give them thirty minutes and then call it.” Dawn replies. 

“Okay,” Lauren agrees, “thanks. And let me know if anything comes up.” 

“I will,” Dawn reassures her. 

XXXX

“Allie, what is that?” Tobin asks, tapping her left shoulder and pointing. Her headlamp illuminates a mound of snow. 

“I don’t know, it looks like a rock,” she replies but slows the machine to a stop. If it’s caught Tobin’s eye, she knows she’ll want to investigate. Tobin has an uncanny sense about things when they’re searching for someone. They’ve just reached the ravine, both alertly looking everywhere for clues. 

“I’ll check it out,” Tobin says, sliding off the back of the machine, wading through the snow that’s over her shins but not quite up to her knees. 

Allie watches as Tobin struggles to get near the odd shaped snow drift. Something about it set Tobin off, Allie thought it was just a snow covered rock. She has her back to her, bending over to examine it. 

“HQ, this is Sector 8, over.” Tobin radios. 

“Sector 8, this is HQ, over.” 

“HQ, Sector 8 just discovered a camera bag near the midpoint of the side of the ravine, over.” Tobin speaks into her radio, turning and holding up a black camera bag, brushing the snow from it and walking back towards Allie. 

“Sector 8, HQ rogers that, over.” Dawn replies. 

“HQ, Sector 8 is going to harness up and investigate, over.” Tobin says as she reaches Allie. Allie is off the machine, unstrapping the packs and pulling out ropes. The ravine produces dangerous snow drifts so they’re going to rope up before they approach the area. 

“Sector 8, HQ copies, double check your lines and update ASAP, over.” 

“HQ, Sector 8 copies, over and out.” Tobin says, setting the bag down in the sled, and grabbing the harness Allie hands her. 

They call for Jeremy to no avail, the wind taking their voices. Allie begins to whistle, three sharp blasts, listening intently for a reply, but nothing can be heard. 

“I’ll find the anchors,” Tobin offers, strapping on her snowshoes to find a couple of trees to anchor the ropes around. 

Allie finds a long stout stick nearby and shakes the snow from it, leaning it against the snowmobile. She removes two lines from the pack, keeping it coiled and meeting Tobin halfway to hand them to her, then returning to the sled. 

She finds the third line for a safety belay, setting it aside, zipping up the pack and standing up. She grabs the line and the powerful flashlight and sees Tobin is paying out her lines and setting them in place. She hands her the belay line, looking at her seriously. 

“Let’s do this,” she says, licking her lips, “nice and slow.” 

“You got it,” Tobin replies, knowing this will be tricky with the wind and driving snow. Visibility is low, the moon isn’t providing them with any additional light, clouds have covered the sky. 

She’s glad they’ve got their helmet radios to communicate. The helmet radios offer private two way communication between them, which is a bonus. The negative is that they have a short range. They use their chest mounted radios to speak with Dawn at Headquarters. 

Allie hooks into the line, clicks the short leash of the flashlight onto her side jacket loop, grabs the stout stick and begins to approach the ravine. She uses the stick to test the ground in front of her, not wanting to walk out on a drift that will send her toppling over the edge. She finds solid ground and plants herself as she fumbles to turn on the flashlight and peer over the edge. 

Tobin watches as Allie uses the light to scan the area, taking her time and being methodical in her search. “Jeremy!” she shouts, making Tobin wince at the loud voice in her earpiece. 

“HQ, this is Sector 8, over.” Allie shouts over the wind. 

“Sector 8, you’ve got HQ, over.” Dawn’s calm voice replies. 

“HQ, Sector 8 has located the missing subject, halfway down ravine. Unresponsive to our calls, but that could be from the wind, over.” Allie states. “We’re going to retrieve subject, will contact upon evaluation, over.” 

“Sector 8, HQ copies.” Dawn replies, “HQ wants you to make sure all lines are secured and belays are in place.” 

“HQ, Sector 8 confirms three lines, one belay, two rappel. First rappel will have live belay, second will use fixed belay, over.” Tobin’s voice sounds off. 

“Sector 8, HQ copies, be safe and update on location, over.” 

“HQ, Sector 8 copies,” Allie says, double checking her lines and making sure her carabiner is clipped shut, “update upon evaluation, over and out.” 

“Let’s do this,” she says to Tobin. Tobin takes off her snowshoes, sticking them upright in the snow so they don’t get lost and digs into the snow to plant her feet on the ground, she takes up the slack until she tugs Allie a little backwards. 

“Okay, Harry, nice and easy,” she says.

Allie turns her head to look over the edge once more, “Give me twelve feet of slack,” she orders, “on three I go,” 

“Okay,” Tobin says, feeding her out the line, “you count off,” 

“One, two, three!” Allie counts and hops back over the ledge, disappearing from Tobin’s sight. 

“Okay, steady, just how you have it,” she says, slowly descending, using her feet to bounce of the rocks, “about thirty feet,” she judges, “twenty-five,” she calls out, still moving steadily down, “fifteen,” she says, “ten,” she pants, “five,” she breathes, “on the ground, getting off the lines.” 

“Okay,” Tobin says, “I’m fixing the belay and will send the basket down.” 

“Roger that, I’m going to check him out,” Allie replies, opening the carbiner and freeing herself from the line. Then she cautiously picks her way to the snow covered form lying a few yards away. 

XXXX 

As Christen follows Julie and Kelley to the bar, she spies Lauren walking briskly across the lobby, her face set with concern, a phone to her ear. She disappears behind the counter and into the office area. Christen doesn’t want to charge over there, she doesn’t feel comfortable enough with Lauren to demand her to tell her what’s happening. She makes eye contact with Emily, who beckons to her. 

“Last I heard they were going to call off the search because of the weather.” She whispers, tilting her head to a woman around Christen’s age who is sitting in the lobby, looking forlorn, “that’s his wife.” She explains quietly. 

Christen sees the grief and worry etched in the woman’s face. Lauren appears, striding over to her, offering her a drink and she sits across from her speaking quietly. The woman is nodding as she listens to Lauren, asking a few questions. Lauren replies, giving her a reassuring look and handing her a piece of paper. They speak quietly for a few more minutes, Lauren even getting the woman to laugh and smile at her. When Lauren stands up, so does the woman, embracing her in a hug and following her to the elevators. 

“Things can’t be too bad,” Emily reasons, “she got her laughing, right?” 

“Yeah,” Christen nods, not really sure she agrees with her. 

“Come on,” Kelley says, pulling on her arm, “let’s go the bar,” she leads her a couple of steps and then stops, looking at Emily, “I’ll see you there in a bit?” 

“I get off at ten,” Emily nods, giving Kelley a smirk, “and maybe at midnight, too.” 

Christen rolls her eyes as Kelley gives Emily a wink. 

When they enter the bar, Christen sees it’s almost empty, which makes sense with the weather keeping people away, especially if they closed the slopes and most of the holiday guests are probably leaving tomorrow. She spies Alex at a large round table, one of the low ones with comfy swivel chairs. Alex looks up from her phone and gestures to them. 

“Come sit,” she invites, “we’re hanging out here tonight,” 

“Uh, I don’t know,” Christen begs off, not in the mood to joke around.

“Dawn is coming down, we’re going to listen to the radio and give her a break,” Alex explains, “Lauren should be back soon, too.” 

Christen instantly pulls out a chair and sits. 

The wait is on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for the encouraging comments, I so appreciate them. It's here that the story takes a twist. Hope you enjoy the ride. 
> 
> P.S. The story is now complete, so I'll be updating quickly- so please don't be mad about the cliffhangers. 
> 
> MT


	8. The Waiting Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allie and Tobin face the challenges of their rescue mission. The group waits at the resort for word of their progress. Christen finds herself incredibly worried.

Saturday, December 28th 

“Jeremy, can you hear me?” Allie asks urgently, watching as the light from her headlamp shines on the snow covered prone figure. 

“Yeah,” a voice choke out, “it hurts,” he complains, “so bad.” 

“Okay,” Allie kneels beside him, shrugging off her pack, “don’t move and tell me what hurts.” 

“My leg, my back,” he says, “fuck! I’m so stupid,” 

“No, you’re not,” Allie assures him, “things like this just happen sometimes.” She’s brushing snow off him and checking him over carefully for open wounds and doesn’t see any blood. 

“Basket is on its’ way down,” Tobin informs her through their radios. 

“Roger that,” Allie replies, “Jeremy, I’m going to put this collar around your neck to help stabilize your spine. Can you wiggle your toes?” 

Jeremy looks at her with fear in his eyes, “Yeah,” he says, sighing heavily. 

“Awesome,” Allie encourage him, “we’re going to put you in a basket and get you out of here, once we’re up top, we can check you over further, okay?” 

“Yes,” he says, “I’m getting pretty cold,” 

“We’ll get you warmed up,” she assures him, looking over her shoulder, “I’ll be right back.” 

Once Tobin lowers herself over the ravine and gets on site, they work to get him loaded on the backboard and safely into the basket, strapping him in securely. They rig the lines, Allie holding a stabilizer rope while Tobin pulls herself back up the slippery ravine.

“All Sectors, this is HQ, over.” Dawn’s voice blares through the radio. 

“Sector 8, copy,” Allie states as search parties do the others. 

“HQ is suspending all efforts for the night. Sector 8 what’s your status? Over.” 

“HQ, Sector 8 is bringing subject up ravine, over.” Allie states, “Prelim eval- stage one hypothermia, complaining of leg and back pain, over.” 

“HQ rogers that Sector 8, standby.” Dawn instructs. 

“Okay,” Tobin huffs, “I’m in place and ready to go.” 

Allie makes sure the basket doesn’t swing wildly as Tobin nearly exhausts herself pulling the line up. Once it’s near the top and Tobin could touch it, she ties off the line, securing it to the tree and moves towards it. She gently pulls it over, not wanting to jar it and cause Jeremy any pain or further injure him. 

She disconnects the line from the basket and flips the rope over the edge for Allie to use, then takes the short leash of the basket, pulling it out of the way and under some low hanging branches of a pine tree so it’s somewhat out of the blowing snow. “Sit tight, dude, I’ll be right back with Allie and we’ll get you checked out,” she assures him before heading back to the lines. 

“Okay, Al, ready when you are,” she says, “the last upper third is icy, so heads up,” 

“Roger that,” Allie replies, “start belaying.” 

Tobin starts pulling at a steady pace, expending much more effort than she thought she would, due to the icy surface. Slowly the rope keeps moving, Allie getting closer to her.

“Give me a little slack,” Allie calls out. Tobin pays out the line, suddenly the rope hisses as it moves quickly, Tobin quickly regaining control. 

“Fuck!” Allie cries out in pain, “Oh shit!” 

“Are you okay!” Tobin asks frantically, holding the line steady. 

“Fuck!” Allie curses, breathing heavy in Tobin’s ear. 

“Allie!” Tobin shouts. 

“I slipped. I think I busted my ankle,” Allie groans, “that or my tibia,” 

Oh shit, Tobin thinks, “Take a minute and we’ll start moving,” she advises, “you’re not hurt anywhere else are you?” 

“No,” Allie hisses, “just my leg,” 

“Okay, okay, okay,” Tobin says, trying to keep calm, “we can do this, Al, you’ve got this, just tell me what you need as we go up.” 

“Yeah,” Allie breathes heavily, “here we go,” she says as she positions herself, “pull!” 

They make it up, taking much longer than originally anticipated, Tobin slinging and arm around Allie as she hobbles on one leg to the tree where Jeremy is. 

“Sector 8 copy,” Dawn calls out. 

“HQ this is Sector 8, copy,” Tobin replies as she works. She’s putting an air cast on Allie’s lower leg while Allie’s checking over Jeremy for further injuries. 

“Sector 8, HQ is keeping Sector 7 and Sector 6 on standby until further notice, over.” 

“HQ, Sector 8 requests a few minutes to eval, over,” Tobin replies, trying to think of how she can bring them both back safely. 

“Sector 8, HQ is standing by, over.” Dawn replies. 

“Tobin,” Allie says, looking over her shoulder at her, “we’ll be fine,” she assures her, “I’ll hang on you on the snowmobile, no problem,” 

Tobin nods, flipping up her visor, “Okay, let’s get Jeremy toasty warm for the ride,” 

They bring out the warm wool blanket and cover him with a silver reflective one as well, tucking it in to keep him warm. Trying to ascertain his injuries is difficult, they don’t want to remove his clothing in these temperatures. A loud cracking sound has Tobin and Allie scrambling to cover Jeremy in the basket, both knowing the terrifying sound of a tree crashing to the ground. 

It makes a loud crunching noise on impact, Tobin getting to her feet, her light shining on the tree which has now mangled the front end of the snowmobile. The engine and front runners are demolished. 

“Holy shit,” Tobin whispers, looking over at Allie with wide eyes. Allie rolls her eye in frustration, then winces as she moves to get more comfortable on the ground. 

XXXX

Dawn arrives to the bar, holding her radio and carrying a briefcase with her laptop and maps inside. She takes off her coat, Crystal immediately bringing her a cup of coffee as she unpacks at the table. 

“What’s the status?” Alex inquires, all eyes looking expectantly at Dawn. Dawn takes off her beanie, running a hand through her hear, “They found him, he fell down the ravine,” she says. 

Everyone leans in forward with anticipation. 

“He’s alive, injured, maybe seriously.” Dawn says, she holds up a map, “They’re right here and as of this minute, the rescuers are stabilizing him for transport.” 

Mutters and sounds of relief fill the table. 

Christen feels immensely better, if the search is off, Tobin should be around soon. She texts her to let her know she’s in the bar and to let her know what she wants to do when she gets back. 

Lauren approaches the table, pulling a chair up, sitting down heavily and rubbing her eyes. “I’m so glad you found him,” she says tiredly, “this has been so stressful.” 

“How’s his wife holding up?” Alex asks her, looking over at Lauren. 

“She’s relieved they found him,” she says, “scared until she sees him and knows how he is,” 

“Understandable,” Christen murmurs, sipping her hot chocolate. She hopes Tobin has something warm to drink, remembering how she packed the thermos for their hike the other night. 

“HQ, this is Sector 8, over.” Tobin’s voice rings out from the radio. 

Dawn lifts it and presses the button, “Sector 8 You’ve got HQ, over.” 

“HQ, patient is alert and responsive, complaining of hip and back pain. Patient is immobilized and ready for transport, over.” 

“HQ rogers that, Sector 8, over.” 

“HQ,” Tobin’s voice is muffled, “HQ, Sector 8 is having a problem, over.” 

Everyone around the table straightens in their chairs, listening intently. 

“Sector 8, state your issue, over,” Dawn says, concern in her voice. 

“HQ, Allie may have broken her ankle or tibia,” Tobin replies, “and a widow maker just took out the front of the snowmobile, over.” 

“They’re stranded?” Christen leans over to whisper to Alex, her eyes big. Alex nods, then turns to look at Dawn. She’s not positive it’s Tobin on the radio, the wind and radio distorting her voice. Right now, she’s still hoping that she’ll see her soon. 

“Tobin, are you okay?” Dawn asks, wanting to get the complete picture. Christen slinks back in her chair, her concern barreling back through her now realizing it is Tobin and Allie out with the hiker. 

“Yes, ma’am,” Tobin replies, “Um, I’m thinking we’re going to hunker down and make shelter, over.” 

“Roger that, Tobin,” Dawn says, forgoing the typical radio callouts, “I’ll scramble two parties to come up and get you, just stay put.” 

“Roger that, Dawn,” Tobin says, “We’ll be as close to the trail as possible,” she says, “but there’s trees coming down all around us.” 

“Tobin, find somewhere safe,” Dawn urges, “it will take them a few hours to get to you. Give me a GPS drop.” 

“Roger that, Dawn, Out.” 

The table is quiet while Dawn activates the reinforcements. Emily joins the table, sipping on a coke as she sidles in next to Kelley. When Dawn has the plan set in motion, she puts down the radio, breathing out a heavy sigh and reaching for her coffee. 

“They’re going to be alright, right?” Emily asks, looking at everyone at the table, “I mean, some tree isn’t going to crush them or they’ll freeze to death or anything, right?” 

“I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Dawn says, “they’re trained for this,” she looks at the map on the table, worry lines creasing her face. 

XXXX

“So, I’m going to scout for a shelter, better than under this tree and out of the wind,” Tobin says, shrugging on the equipment pack, axe in hand, “I’m going down towards the rocks we passed, it’s not far, I’ll stay on the trail until I get there,” 

“Just keep checking in with me, Har,” Allie urges, “take a water bottle and drink, too,” she offers her one from her pocket. 

“Yo, Jeremy,” Tobin calls out, “I’m looking to set you up in a forest Hilton, man, be right back,” 

“Be safe, Tobin,” Jeremy says, raising his hand and giving her a thumbs up. Tobin had set up an IV and he was resting comfortably with the pain meds. Tobin insisted Allie take a small dose of Demerol, just enough to take the ache away and not make her super loopy. She was a little sluggish, but still warm, wrapped up in another blanket. She put her headset back on so she could talk with Tobin.

Tobin strikes out, cautiously slipping over the tree that decimated the snowmobile, carefully moving down the path on her snowshoes. “Just at the base of the ravine,” she calls out to Allie, letting her know her progress. 

“The rocks are on the west side of the trail, Harry,” Allie instructs, reminding her in case she forgot. Allie knows Tobin is exhausted, she’s been doing the more strenuous tasks of this rescue and now, having to go seek and make a shelter, she knows she’s going to start getting confused in her tiredness. 

“Roger that,” Tobin replies, squinting through the driving snow to make out the dark formations. “I see them,” she announces, “going off trail to check it out.” 

The first area is way too exposed, too much wind whipping through, so she moves to the next set of boulders jutting through the snow. She shines her light around, evaluating her choices. 

This looks more promising, two stones over ten feet high, angled next to each other provide a wind break, opening out to the east, she could build a lean to and pile in pine tree branches for insulation, maybe get a fire going. She knows how to find dry wood in the winter. She scopes out the trees nearby, none of them are dead so the chances of a widow maker coming through here are low. 

She nods to herself, pulling her pack off, setting it on an exposed rock and grabbing the shovel. She’ll shovel out the built up snow in the crevasse and use it to make a third wall that she’ll reinforce with timber and pine boughs. She gets to work. 

She continues to shovel out the snow, leaving about a foot of snow deep for insulation from the cold ground. She’s got her coat open so she doesn’t overheat, her helmet still on. 

“Found a spot, Har,” she says, stopping her work for a moment and taking a drink of water. 

“Yeah?” she replies, “Where is it?” 

“That second set of rocks off the path, about forty clicks down the path on the west side,” she replies, arching her back to stretch it out from shoveling. “Gonna get some pine and branches to make a shelter,” she continues, “gotta make a shelter,” she mutters, “gotta make a shelter,” she breathes heavily. 

“Just go slow and steady, Tobs,” Allie cautions, hearing the exhaustion in her voice, “don’t go too far away from the rocks, okay?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, “gotta get the axe,” 

Allie issues a silent prayer that Tobin doesn’t hurt herself with the axe. 

XXXX

Christen looks at her phone, its’ almost eleven thirty and they haven’t heard an update lately. Dawn must sense the same thing because she grabs the radio. 

“Sector 7 this is HQ, over,” she radios. 

“HQ, you got Sector 7,” a male voice replies. 

“Sector 7 what’s your status, over?” 

“Ah, HQ, we’re at the bridge,” comes the reply. “A tree took it out and we’re trying to figure out a way to cross the river safely.” 

“Shit!” Dawn exclaims, pounding her fist on the table, letting out a breath. 

“Sector 7,” she says, calming her voice, “have you evaluated all the options, over.” 

“HQ, yes, ma’am,” he replies, “can’t do much in these conditions.” 

“Alright Sector 7, you and Sector 6 return to base and standby, over.” 

“HQ, Sector 7 reads you loud and clear, over and out.” 

“HQ, Sector 6 copies that, over.” 

“Fuck!” Ashlyn exclaims from her seat near the bar, “That’s the only access to them, isn’t it?” 

“Yes,” Dawn calmly replies, looking over the map. Then she picks up the radio again. 

“Sector 8 this is HQ, over.” 

“HQ, you’ve got Allie,” 

“Allie, looks like you’re spending the night,” 

“We’ll be fine, Dawn,” she says, “Tobs is making a shelter down the path right now,” 

“Tobin, this is Dawn, over.” Dawn radios. 

Silence on the air. 

“Tobin, this is Dawn, respond.” She says sternly. Those gathered are tense. 

After a minute, they hear a response. “Yo, Dawn, this is Tobin,” she huffs, out of breath, “what’s up?” 

Everyone lets out a sigh of relief, “Tobin, what’s going on? What’s your status?” 

“Almost got a shelter finished,” she replies, “collecting firewood now, my hands were full when you called.” 

“Okay,” Dawn says, sighing with relief, “keep us posted, don’t let us worry with you out there alone,” 

“Yeah boss, sorry,” she replies wearily. 

“Alright,” Dawn says, “finish up and get back to Allie and Jeremy. Then get warmed up.” 

“Will do, over.” 

The table relaxes a bit, everyone glancing at one another. 

XXXX

“Almost,” Tobin pants, “there.” She’s got Allie on her back and she’s harnessed up with the leash from the basket pulling the sled carrying Jeremy. She insisted it was safer making one trip instead of two, not wanting to leave Jeremy alone. Allie couldn’t argue with her reasoning, but she fears Tobin is way over the line of exhaustion. 

She guides them off the trail, Allie swinging her head and her lamp shining around, noticing Tobin had sense enough to notch the trees and mark her way through the woods. Her eyes widen as they come upon the structure Tobin made. It’s covered in pine branches with a small opening for them to enter. She looks up and sees that the trees around them are alive, little chance of any blow overs occurring. 

“Good spot, Har,” she says approvingly. 

“Uh huh,” Tobin mumbles, moving slower, her steps with the snowshoes measured. 

Tobin sets Allie down near the entryway, helping her get to her knees and crawl in. Then she slides an asleep Jeremy in with the sled, Allie helping to pull him up on the soft bed of branches inside. Tobin immediately gets to work on making a fire, Allie seeing a stack of branches and timber piled inside on the short wall. 

“Alright,” Tobin comments, nodding as the fire takes hold, “come on,” she urges, carefully feeding it the dried leaves and small sticks she foraged. She continues to feed the fire until it takes, burning the larger branches and soon Allie can begin to feel the warmth. 

“Nice job,” Allie says, then she yawns. She’s getting tired but is determined to stay awake. 

“How’s your leg feeling?” Tobin asks, “Do you need something?” 

“I’ll take three Tylenol,” Allie says as she opens the First Aid kit, “It’s not awful right now,” she says, “just an ache.” She takes the pills, swallowing them down with water. She checks on Jeremy, reviewing his vitals. 

When she finishes charting the results, she looks over at Tobin. “You should change out of your clothes,” she suggests, “your shirt looks wet and you’re shaking.” 

“I am?” Tobin questions, unaware of how far gone she is. “Okay,” she agrees, reaching for the equipment pack, pulling out an under shirt and a wool sweater. “Wait,” she says, “I want to make a cover over this door and get some wood,” she crouches, “I’ll be back soon.” 

Allie understands her reasoning but hates Tobin leaving her sight. She radios in the update on Jeremy’s vitals and that they are at their shelter for the night. 

Tobin soon returns with another load of wood, dumping them in along the short wall, a high pile that should last them until dawn. Tobin gets a length of cording from the pack and uses it to anchor the tarp along the side of the shelter, effectively making a door and holding the heat inside their little space. 

Once inside, Tobin settles in, taking off her helmet and sitting against the rock with her legs extended out in front of her. 

“Tobin,” Allie says, getting her attention, “change your shirt,” she reminds her. 

“Oh, yeah,” Tobin nods, blinking slowly as she concentrates on the simple task. Allie winces as she watches Tobin fumble with the sweater, seeing how drained and debilitated she is. Allie thinks she put the sweater on backwards but says nothing. Right now, she just wants Tobin to stay in place under her supervision. 

“Why don’t you eat something,” she suggests, nodding at the pack, “it’ll help keep you warm.” 

Tobin silently reaches for the bag and pulls out a baggie of trail mix, she offers it to Allie first, who takes a handful and then shakes out some for herself. They eat in silence, Allie watching   
Tobin chew mechanically, her eyes dull, face devoid of expression.

“You should put your jacket back on,” Allie suggests, “I don’t want you to get a chill.” 

Tobin nods and silently gets herself into her jacket, leaving unzipped. 

“You look tired,” Tobin finally speaks, “you should lay down for a bit,” 

“I’d like you to lay down,” Allie counters, “you look like you’re about to pass out,” 

Tobin shakes her head, “I’ll watch the fire,” she says, “it’s going through the wood pretty quick and I don’t want it to die out.” 

Allie doesn’t want to fight about it, so she scoots over and lays her head on Tobin’s leg, deciding to just rest her eyes for a bit, satisfied that Tobin won’t go wandering off while she rests.

XXXX

Sunday, December 29th 

“Come on,” Kelley urges, “let’s go to your room and get some sleep,” she’s pulling on her arm, “they’re just going to be in the shelter tonight and they’ll get them out tomorrow morning,” 

Christen reluctantly stands, sighing deeply, “Lauren, can I call you in the morning?” It’s after two now. 

Lauren gives her a tired smile, “Of course,” she says, “Dawn will have the others out there at six.” 

Christen nods and allows herself to be led away and out of the bar. Julie and Kelley escort her to her room, making sure she changes into night clothes and help her into bed. They rummage through her luggage and find clothes for themselves to wear, Julie crawling in bed with Christen and Kelley sleeping in the other room. 

Christen feels she won’t sleep, she’s too keyed up, but, once again, as soon as her head hits the pillow, she’s out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the love y'all.


	9. Bad Juju

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “TOBIN!” she shouts into the radio.   
> “I’m here,” Tobin replies, grunting.   
> “Are you okay? What happened?” Allie asks urgently.   
> “Ugh,” she groans, “I kinda slipped off the rock,” Tobin replies.   
> “Are you okay?” she repeats.   
> “Yeah, I bounced,” Tobin replies. Allie rolls her eyes at this.   
> “Can you move? Is anything broken,” Allie inquires, her concern at an all time high.   
> “I’m alright,” Tobin replies, “I’m coming in to get the snowshoes, just a minute.”   
> “Good Lord,” Allie mutters, shaking her head, “what else can happen?”   
> “Don’t say that,” Jeremy suggests, worry etched on his face, “bad juju,”   
> “Shit,” Allie nods, reaching for the First Aid pack.

Sunday, December 29th 

Ashlyn has convinced Dawn to nap for a bit and she’ll monitor the radio for a couple of hours. Alex is still at the table with Lauren and Heather, all three of them dozing off. It’s a little before four. Christie enters and surveys the room, silently nodding to Ashlyn and exiting. She returns a few minutes later carrying a large tray with bowls of hot soup for them. 

“Thanks Christie,” Alex murmurs as she takes a bowl, “this is perfect,” 

“So, what’s going on?” Christie asks as she takes a seat. 

“Tobin, Allie and Jeremy, the victim, are hunkered in for the night in a shelter,” Ashlyn explains as she opens a packet of crackers, dumping them in her soup, “we’re just monitoring the radio overnight in case anything pops up with them.” 

“Well, they’re the best in the squad,” Christie nods, “everything should work out fine.” 

“Hope so,” Heather mutters as she eats, her head down. 

The radio crackles with static and then stops. All of them look at the device on the table in front of Ashlyn. 

“That was weird,” Ashlyn mumbles, eying the radio as she eats. 

“Oh, Jesus!” They hear Allie yell in the radio, a fumbling noise and then silence. 

“Allie!” Ashlyn yells, waking up Dawn, “What is going on?” 

Silence. 

“Allie come in! Tobin come in!” Ashlyn yells frantically into the radio. 

The radio crackles again with static and then goes silent. 

“What happened?” Dawn cries out with alarm as she scrambles out of the booth she was lying in. 

The radio keeps crackling then cutting out. 

“Allie just yelled,” Lauren says, “we don’t know what happened.” 

Dawn rubs her face, nodding, letting out a breath, “Okay,” she says and sits down at the table. 

“HQ, this is Sector 8,” Allie’s shaky voice comes across. 

Ashlyn slides the radio across the table to Dawn. 

“Allie, this is Dawn, what’s going on?” she asks, foregoing the usual radio protocol. 

“A freaking tree just landed on us!” 

“Are you alright?” Dawn asks, her eyes wide. 

“Yeah,” Allie replies, still upset, “we are. It just shook us up.” 

“Your shelter is intact?” Dawn asks, if it isn’t, she would call the crew out immediately. 

“Yes, it’s- Tobin where are you going?” she says sharply, the group in the bar can hear a muffled reply, “well, zip up your jacket, and put a hat on, use your radio okay?” she pauses a moment, “Tobin is going to check it out,” 

Dawn stands up and walks to the nearest window, surveying the weather. She turns back, her face set with concern. “Keep us updated,” 

“Roger that,” Tobin’s low voice comes across. It sounds devoid of emotion, mechanical. 

Dawn picks up her phone and makes a call. “John? Yes,” she pauses, listening. “A tree went down on their shelter, we have to extract them now. Get the lights, the full crew, get whatever you can to make a makeshift bridge.” She listens, “Good idea, I’ll call them next.” She hangs up, scrolling through her phone. She makes another phone call, explaining the situation. 

“Allie, any new injuries?” Dawn radios. 

“Negative, just shook up, we’re all fine.” 

“The crew is working on the bridge, the Park group is coming to help, just sit tight and we’ll be there in a couple of hours, over.” Dawn instructs. 

“Roger that.” Allie replies. 

“You got a fire? Are you warm?” 

“Yes,” Allie says, “the wood is low and I don’t want Tobin going out to get any,” Allie says, knowing Tobin can hear her. 

“Why’s that?” Dawn asks, the worry lines deepening on her face. 

“She’s exhausted, she hasn’t slept at all,” Allie replies. 

“I’m fine,” Tobin interjects with a rare flair of irritation, “don’t worry about me.” 

Dawn bites her lip, thinking. “Tobin, give me a visual of your situation,” she orders, she looks at the others, “I want her to keep talking, that way we get a handle on how she is.” 

“It’s about a sixty foot healthy tree that’s come down from the southwest. It’s balancing on the overhead rock,” Tobin replies, “I’m going to set some lines on it, if a gust of wind moves it, we’re toast.” 

“Roger that, Tobin, over.” Dawn says. 

“I’m heading back in to get the lines and then get started.” Tobin replies, sounding more alert but the timber of her voice tells them her exhaustion level. 

“Dawn, what can we do to help?” Lauren asks, her eyes wide with concern. 

Dawn thinks, “Okay, we’ll need to feed these guys and get them warmed after so I’ll give you a heads up when they’re coming back down.” 

“Why don’t we take care of them here in the bar?” Ashlyn suggests, “I’ll get the crew in early.” 

“Excellent,” Dawn and Lauren agree. 

“Lauren, let’s pull up the staff list today, we can borrow some people from other places to cover.” Alex offers. 

“The slopes will remain closed until this weather passes, so the lift operators can help out.” Lauren notes, Alex typing into her phone. 

“Any reporters sniffing around?” Heather asks, looking at Lauren. 

“Thankfully, no,” Lauren replies, “but they might if they see the Park trucks heading this way. I’ll call Jeremy’s wife and let her know that they’re extracting, but I won’t mention the tree.” 

“No tree talk to anyone,” Dawn agrees, “I’ll tell the group to be mum about it, focus on the bridge being out.” 

They continue working on the details of their plan until Dawn has to leave and meet the crew at the trailhead. Lauren fetches the radio from her office, making the table in the bar their own command post. 

XXXX

“All three lines attached,” Tobin says into the radio, “coming down now,” 

“Be careful,” Allie urges. 

“Roger,” Tobin replies. She somehow had scrambled up on the rocks to secure the lines to the tree hanging over the shelter so precariously. 

“She’s one tough cookie,” Jeremy says with admiration. He’s been sleeping on and off with Allie closely monitoring his vitals through the night. 

“You got that right,” Allie says, “how are you feeling?” 

“Really sore,” he says, “but it’s not bad, you know? Maybe it’s just bruised real bad,” 

“Well, don’t go moving around,” Allie warns, “you need to get checked out, that was some fall you took.” 

“I don’t mean to sound like an asshole,” he says, “but by any chance did you guys find my camera?” 

Allie nods, “Tobin did and we dried it as best we could,” she says, “it’s in your camera bag.” 

“Awesome,” he says, “thank you so much. Are you feeling okay?” 

“Yeah,” Allie replies, “sore, like you,” she gives him a thin lipped smile. 

“Hey, would you mind if I checked out my camera?” Jeremy asks, looking at her expectantly. 

Allie nods, no harm in that, she thinks, having Jeremy occupy himself for a bit would be good. She doesn’t think he’s aware of the gravity of their situation. He’s not acting like it. She herself   
is internally freaking out knowing what they’re up against. She’s certainly not going to bring up that the slightest movement from a huge tree most likely kill them if it should roll their way. Tobin is in no shape to attempt making another shelter with the condition she’s in. Securing lines would be the safest route. She reaches over and grabs the bag, setting it down and opening the zippered compartment. She hands it to him. 

“Thanks,” he says, raising his arms to hold it in front of his head to examine it for damage. 

She’s worried about Tobin. The woman is the walking dead right now. Allie assumes she didn’t sleep much last night and that her and Christen had gotten together. She hasn’t asked her, knowing Tobin tends to keep things on the private side until she’s comfortable talking about her personal life. They’ve been friends for years, but that’s how Tobin is. Since the accident, she really struggles speaking about herself. 

Allie mentally reviews her checklist, she’s given Jeremy some hot water, using a piece of tubing as a straw so he could suck it down, not allowing him any food until he’s checked out, her and Tobin have snacked, maybe she should make some soup for them and hopefully get Tobin to sleep. She knows Tobin will fight her about sleep. Jeremy’s vitals are good and strong, hopefully he’s not injured badly, he’s not acting like he is in any great pain from a serious fracture. It would hurt to breathe. 

What else, she thinks, wait, what was that. 

“Did you hear something?” She asks Jeremy. 

“I heard something but I don’t know what it was,” he replies, looking concerned. 

“Tobin, do you read me?” Allie radios. 

Silence. 

“Tobin! Do you copy?” Allie tries again. She hears the soft click of the camera, ignoring it. 

The radio clicks with a burst of static. 

“TOBIN!” she shouts into the radio. 

“I’m here,” Tobin replies, grunting. 

“Are you okay? What happened?” Allie asks urgently. 

“Ugh,” she groans, “I kinda slipped off the rock,” Tobin replies. 

“Are you okay?” she repeats. 

“Yeah, I bounced,” Tobin replies. Allie rolls her eyes at this. 

“Can you move? Is anything broken,” Allie inquires, her concern at an all time high. 

“I’m alright,” Tobin replies, “I’m coming in to get the snowshoes, just a minute.” 

“Good Lord,” Allie mutters, shaking her head, “what else can happen?” 

“Don’t say that,” Jeremy suggests, worry etched on his face, “bad juju,” 

“Shit,” Allie nods, reaching for the First Aid pack. 

A few minutes later and the tarp moves, Tobin crawling in on her hands and knees, covered in snow, making sure the tarp is in place before turning to face Allie and Jeremy. 

“Come here, you’re bleeding,” Allie orders, pulling out a gauze pad and ripping open the package. She places it on Tobin’s cheekbone just under her right eye, “hold it in place.” 

Allie puts her through a concussion protocol test, the results are sketchy because Tobin is so tired. 

“Come on, I’ve got to secure the lines to some trees,” Tobin says impatiently, gesturing with her hand. 

“Hold your horses,” Allie mutters, removing the gauze pad and opening a bandage. She hears the click of the camera again. Tobin has a cut under her eye, it’s swelling rapidly and she fears Tobin’s eye will soon swell shut. She’s also got a couple of small scrapes on her jaw and chin. 

Allie finds her dermal glue and applies it to her cut and then affixes the bandage to her face, frowning as she does so. Tobin is just giving her a thousand yard stare, kneeling and sitting back on her legs, an arm is leaning on the top of the upright snowshoes. “Take out your contact in that eye,” Allie warns, “it might swell shut.” Tobin takes a glove off and obeys her order, flicking it on the ground. 

“I’m going ask Dawn for the channel and you’re going to talk to me every step of the way, you got it?” Allie says sternly. “When I tell you to open your mic, you do so and do not stop talking.” 

“Yes ma’am,” she replies with a nod. No sarcasm, just a yes. 

“Okay, go,” Allie gives her shooing away gesture and Tobin reaches for the snowshoes. 

She disappears from the shelter, Allie loudly sighing and reaching for her radio. 

“HQ this is Sector 8,” she says, frustrated, tired and worried. Oh, so worried. 

“Sector 8 this is HQ, over.” Dawn replies. 

“I’m requesting you to give us the channel and I want Tobin to have open air while she ties the lines and secures the tree, over.” Allie replies. 

“You got it, give me a minute to clear the air and switch the crew channel, over.” Dawn replies. 

“Copy that,” Allie says. 

“All sectors this is HQ, directing you to switch to channel 16, over.” Dawn broadcasts. 

The other seven sectors check in and respond. 

“Sector 8, you have the air, over.” Dawn responds. 

“Thanks HQ, will announce when all clear.” Allie replies. 

“Tobin, open your mic and tell me exactly what you’re doing, over.” Allie instructs. 

“Okay, Harry,” Tobin replies, “Mic is open. Right now I’m walking with a line one to this stout balsam pine, it’s a fine tree, you know. I’m almost there, I plan to attach the line at about three feet high on this big boy.” She pauses, “I’m now at the tree, hello tree. I’m walking around the tree and looping the rope through three times to secure it. Now I’m tying the knot. He’s gonna be a good anchor tree.” 

This goes on as Tobin gives a blow by blow account of her actions. 

Tobin feels like shit, she’s so tired but her will to keep Allie, Jeremy and herself safe overpowers her senses. Her eyes are burning, the one is swelling rapidly and what she can see is blurry because her contact is out. Her legs feel heavy, her jacket is weighted down from the snow, it’s almost soaked to the point of failure. If she gets wet, she knows she’s done for. She thinks she’s in the first stages of hyperthermia, but maybe she’s just that tired. 

Gotta keep talking, she repeats to herself in her head, can’t let Allie get worried. Keep talking. 

You can do this, Heath. 

XXXX

“I’m chopping this tree down,” Tobin is singing to the tune of On Top Of Old Smoky with the loud crack of her axe hitting the wood, “it’s big and it’s old,” Thunk! “This is keeping me warm here,” Thunk! “Out here in the cold.” Thunk!

“Seriously?” Alex questions, shaking her head, “She’s nuts.” They’ve all been raptly listening to Tobin’s narrative.

“She probably is right about now,” Heather nods sagely, “it’s five o’clock in the morning and she hasn’t slept.” 

“Shit, I’m glad I work in an office,” Alex shivers, thinking about the night. 

“Tobin’s got brass balls the size of Texas to be doing what she’s doing,” Ashlyn declares, “I don’t know how she hasn’t passed out yet.” 

“She will once she knows Allie and Jeremy are safe.” Lauren states quietly. 

“Yeah, she will,” Ashlyn nods thoughtfully, “you’re right.” 

They’ve been listening to the account of Tobin’s activities, impressed, amazed and amused by her overly descriptive report. She’s currently chopping a tree down so she can use it to create wood supports so the tree won’t roll onto the shelter. The lines hold the tree from the opposite direction, this will keep it in place. The wind and snow is still blowing pretty strong and she hasn’t let up from her work, except to stop and drink some water. 

She’d be speaking about choosing the tree that’s close but needs to be at least five inches in diameter only to stop and interrupt herself to exclaim how she saw a shooting star. Then as she finally gets the tree down, she comments on the sun rising. 

“I’m cutting the branches off,” she sings spiritedly, “cutting the branches off, oh that’s a dead one, save it for the fire,” she sings, “cutting the branches, not hitting myself, the axe is sharp, and Allie will kill me if I hurt myself,” 

The songs go on, they grow more hilarious to the point that Ashlyn is recording it. 

“Oh, Allie! You came and you gave without taking,” she sings, “but you busted your leg, Oh Allie!” 

“Is that Barry Manilow?” Lauren questions with a laugh. 

She quickly switches to another musical selection. “The branches, the branches, the branches are dry,” she’s rapping, “we don’t need no rescue let the motherfucker burn!” 

Later they hear, “Jeremy spoke in class today!” Tobin is now shouting happily, “Clearly I remember, picking up the bro, he fell in to a ravine, oooohhh, but he unleashed a lion, his wife won’t   
let him go anywhere alone, he’s gonna have to buy her so many gifts, yo,” 

If Tobin had been trying to downplay her feelings for Christen, she wasn’t successful in keeping them that secret. Not when she starts singing about her. 

“Oh, Christen, you’re so fine, you’re so fine, you blow my mind, hey Christen!” she sings cheerily. 

Then she makes up her own song that has everyone at the table sending curious glances to one another. 

“Christen,” she croons, “your smile makes my knees go weak, your laugh makes my heart grow big, your kiss makes my mind go blank, your touch sets me on fire,” she sings softly, “you’re so smart, so funny, you make my head spin, you’re so good and sweet in ways I can’t explain,” she sniffs, “you calm me, and accept me for all my hangups, you just let me be me and it’s the greatest thing in the world.” 

She’s quiet for a few minutes, steadily shopping wood.

“Aw!” Heather exclaims, “She’s in love with her!” 

“At least completely infatuated with her,” Ashlyn shrugs. 

“Do not tease her about this,” Alex orders sternly, “not this one. I’m serious.” 

Knowing that this is the first time in a long time that Tobin has put herself out there to meet someone, they all agree. 

A few minutes later they hear a classic. 

“High on a hill stood the lonely goatherd, Lay ee odl lay hee hoo, Loud was the voice of the lonely goatherd, Lay ee odl lay ee odl-oo,”

“Is that from the Sound of Music?” Heather laughs, “Oh my God, this is hilarious!” 

Tobin yodels for a while as she works and then sings most of the soundtrack from the movie as she secures the tree, informing Allie each time she gets a support pole in place. When she finishes, she’s out of breath and whines to Allie to feed her. 

“Allie, I hope you’re in there, making me a steak with some mushrooms, and double baked potato and some buttery carrots. Or maybe just some waffles,” She says, grunting as she lifts something, “Okay, I’ve think I got enough wood for the rest of the night, I’m coming in.” 

After a couple of minutes, Allie clears the air and the radio goes silent. It’s now after seven in the morning and women breath a sigh of relief that Tobin is back in the shelter. 

XXXX

“Fuck!” Christen hisses as she grabs her phone, realizing she’s slept through alarms, she inadvertently kicks Julie in her rush to get out of bed, texting Lauren as she scrambles to the bathroom. 

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Julie calls out blearily, sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. 

“It’s ten o’clock!” Christen shouts, slamming the bathroom door. 

Julie slowly slides out of bed, yawning and stretching as she walks into the living room. She spies Kelley in the kitchen, sleepily filling the coffee pot with water. 

“Oh, bless you,” Julie says as she collapses on the couch, immediately shutting her eyes again. 

“I feel bad,” Kelley says as she sits down next to her, “I feel like we let her down, us sleeping in,” 

Julie cracks an eye open, “She wouldn’t be like this if Tobin was just a random, huh?” she says quietly. 

Kelley shakes her head, “No, but she lives in LA, what are they going to do?” she whispers. 

“Did you see how they looked at each other when we met Tobin?” Julie continues, “That was not a just a random look for either of them.” 

“You got that right,” Kelley agrees, “I’ve never ever seen Christen look at Vero like she was looking at Tobin.” 

Julie grabs a couch pillow, hugging it tightly and smiling, “This is _just_ like a Hallmark Christmas movie!” She gushes. She glances at Kelley when she doesn’t hear a   
reply. “What?” 

Kelley looks deep in thought, “Yeah, but what will Tobin think when she finds out Christen is here to buy the resort?” she asks seriously. 

Julie’s mouth drops open, “Ooh, yeah,” she says, wincing, “ugh.” 

“Yeah,” Kelley mutters, slouching on the couch. 

XXXX 

“Alright Jeremy,” Tobin says, giving him a knuckle punch, “good luck, man,” 

“Thanks, Tobin,” he says emotionally, “you saved my life,” he clutches at her hand, “you’re amazing!” 

“Hey dude,” Tobin nods, “it’s cool,” she gives him a tired smile, “you take care of yourself, man,” she says and leaves the back of the ambulance, slowly and walks slightly unsteadily towards Dawn. She’s already checked on Allie, she’s doing just fine in the other ambulance. It’s around nine o’clock in the morning, the rescue team arriving at the shelter and bringing them back to safety not too long ago. Tobin insisted on Allie and Jeremy getting triaged first, protesting that she was fine, just tired. 

“Tobin!” Dawn exclaims when she sees her, “come here,” she wants to get her to the third unit. 

“Hey, Dawn,” Tobin gives her a tired smile, “it’s all good,” she says as Dawn embraces her, “they’re okayyy,” she says slurs as she loses her balance, stumbling as her legs give out and she passes out, collapsing in Dawn’s arms. 

“Little help here!” Dawn shouts and is quickly surrounded and Tobin is taken to the third ambulance. 

XXXX

“She’s okay though?” Christen repeats into her phone.

“Exhausted, she’s getting checked out and they’ll probably keep her overnight.” Laurens replies, cautiously, “Dawn is keeping me updated, she’s at the hospital and she’ll let me know.” 

“Oh, okay,” she replies quietly. Christen didn’t know what to expect this morning, but she’s surprised Tobin is in the hospital. She’s wondering if Lauren’s not telling her the whole story. 

“Christen?” Lauren questions.

“Yes?” 

“Would you like to go to the hospital with me later?” Lauren asks kindly, “I’m going up once Tobin is in a room,” 

“Yes!” Christen replies immediately, then stops herself, “I mean, if you don’t think I’d be intruding or anything,” she rushes to say.

Lauren chuckles, “I have a feeling that Tobin will be just as anxious to see you.” 

“Um, okay then,” she says, “I’d like that,” 

“Okay, I’ll text you when I know something,” Lauren says, “I gotta go now, Alex is in my ear,” 

“Yes, of course, great, thanks, bye,” Christen rushes, ending the call and then rolling her eyes at herself. 

“Could you be anymore awkward?” Kelley laughs.

Christen sighs, “Actually, that’s just Level 2 of my awkward hierarchy,” she shakes her head, sliding onto the couch, Julie hugging her. 

“How is she?” Julies asks quietly. 

“In the hospital,” Christen replies, frustrated, “Lauren says she’s exhausted but that’s it, I don’t know what’s wrong,” she frowns. 

“Sweetie,” Kelley says in a kind voice, “she was up for over forty-eight hours doing physical labor, and I don’t mean just the part when she was with you,” 

Christen buries her head in her hands, “Ugh, don’t remind me!” She exclaims, “I feel responsible for her being so tired,” 

“Oh, come on now,” Julie chides, gripping her tightly and shaking her a little in her arms, “you can’t say that,” she says, “nobody could have predicted what would have happened,” 

“I guess you’re right,” Christen sighs, laying her head on Julie’s shoulder, “you guys, I really like her,” she declares quietly, “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” 

“Just talk to her,” Kelley advises, speaking seriously, “lay it all out, you guys can work something out,” 

“Yeah,” Julie chimes in, “flights are only, like, two and a half hours, you could do the distance,” she adds. 

Christen nods her head, “You’re right,” she says, “I want her in my life,” she says firmly, “I think I need her to be in my life.” 

XXXX

“I need my keys!” Christen sings as she dashes around the living room, haphazardly trying to get out the door. 

Julie stands by the kitchen counter, “Here,” she points, “car key, hotel key, wallet and your phone is in your hand.” 

“Thanks Jules,” Christen nods as she puts her room key and wallet in her voluminous purse, holding her phone and her car keys, “I’ll text you later,” she says as she whips the door open and   
bounds out the room, trotting down the hallway. 

She meets Lauren in the lobby, anxious to get going. Lauren had asked if it would be alright to drive separately as she needed to make a couple of stops after seeing Tobin. Christen readily agreed, liking that idea. 

“So, she’s listed as suffering from exhaustion and exposure,” Lauren details as they walk to the parking lot, “Dawn said she has a shiner and some cuts and bruises but otherwise is okay.   
They’re just monitoring her for twenty-four hours to be sure she’s fine.” 

“Thank God,” Christen sighs, “thank you so much for letting me come,” 

“Christen,” Lauren grins at her as they walk out the lobby, “it’s easy to see you’ve become an important person to Tobin in just these few days you’ve known each other,” 

Christen blushes, “She’s important to me, too,” she says. 

“I know,” Lauren says simply, then she points, “I’m over there, just follow me out, the hospital is at the base of the mountain, you can’t miss it.” 

“Okay,” Christen says, “I’ll be right behind you,” she calls out as she trots to her rental car. 

“She looks awful,” Lauren observes, taking a step closer, “she’s so pale,” 

Christen’s eyes begin to water upon seeing Tobin lying unconscious in the hospital bed. She moves to the side of the bed, eying the machinery that surrounds. The rhythmic soft beep of the heart rate monitor, the pump coming from the IV unit, the soft hiss from the oxygen line. 

Tobin is positioned on her side, a pillow against her chest, her right hand peeking out from the under the covers. Christen sees the IV port on the back of her hand, then looks at her face. She sees the blackened eye, swollen nearly shut, a thin line of a cut below on her cheek, she counts the six neat stitches sewn into her skin. She has a small scrape on the right side of her jaw, another one the size of a thumbprint on her chin. 

Her face is pale with dark circles under both eyes. Her lips are parted, soft snores coming from her throat. She looks at her hand, seeing the darkness of dirt under her neatly trimmed fingernails. 

A noise startles her, looking up to Lauren opening the small closet and setting a backpack inside it. She comes back and sets a case for glasses on the tray table. 

“I’m going to find her nurse,” Lauren says, “I want to check in with her, I’ll be back.” 

“Okay,” Christen nods, “I’ll be here.” 

Suddenly she’s alone. She sheds her coat, setting it on the bench seat near the window and sets her purse down. She decides to pull up a chair and she takes a seat near Tobin. She just stares at her, thinking. Could we make a distance relationship work, she wonders. Would Tobin be willing to try one? How would we make it work? Every weekend, every other weekend? It made her head hurt to think of these options. 

Tobin twitches, jerking her shoulder, still sleeping. It draws Christen from her thoughts, making her lean forward, watching closely as Tobin’s eyes dance under her lids. She utters a soft cry, wincing with her forehead furrowed and a frown on her face. 

“Sssshhh,” Christen soothes, “it’s okay, you’re okay,” she says softly, pushing her chair closer and leaning forward to touch her hand. She cradles Tobin’s fingers, brushing her thumb across her knuckles. 

“Mmmm,” Tobin moans, then she issues a deep sigh, her body relaxing and becoming peaceful. 

Christen continues to stroke her hand, leaning her body up against the bed, getting herself comfortable. She thinks about how strong Tobin is, how determined she was to stay awake and do her job. How she carried her responsibilities all the way to completion. To stay awake that whole time, to do such physical work, to have the knowledge of what to do keep them safe. It stirs something deep within her.

“Hey,” Lauren greets, giving her a soft smile, Christen leaning back in her seat but still holding Tobin’s hand. Lauren pulls up a chair on the other side of the bed. “The nurse said they gave her a sedative and she shouldn’t wake up until sometime tonight, if at all.” 

“Oh,” Christen nods, knitting her eyebrows, “why would they sedate her?” 

Lauren quirks her mouth and frowns, “I guess she was a little freaked out when she woke up in the ambulance and they thought it was best. She was so tired, she didn’t know what she was doing,” 

“Aw,” Christen sniffs, “that’s so awful,” 

“Yeah,” Lauren agrees, “I hate thinking of her being so scared and not knowing what’s going on,” she says. 

They both in silence, taking it all in. Christen leans forward in her seat, tenderly pulling back some hair from Tobin’s face. 

“Christen?” Lauren questions. Christen looks up at her, “Hmm?” 

“Do you really think we can save the resort?” she asks timidly. 

“I do,” she replies firmly, “when you meet with the detective tomorrow, once he sees the evidence that Kelley, Julie and Alex shows them, he’ll tell you how you were victimized.” 

Lauren nods. 

“And Lauren?” Christen meets her eyes, “If you need money to cover operating expenses while the trial occurs, don’t worry about it.” 

“What do you mean?” Lauren knits her eyebrows, unsure of what Christen is saying. 

“I’ll make sure Press Enterprises takes care of it. I promise.” Christen states. “Discovering this, how you were taken advantage of, it makes me think of how many other companies we dealt with were as well. I’ve never seen it before, finding out a company was a victim of fraud, but I think sometimes, we just bought them out and didn’t help them and that was wrong. I think we could be really successful helping companies turn their businesses around, without buying them out.” 

“Really?” Lauren’s eyes go wide. 

“Yes,” Christen smiles at her. She lets go of Tobin’s hand and stands up, walking around the bed to Lauren’s side, “I promise.” She offers her hand to her. Lauren stands and they shake, both smiling at each other. 

Christen goes back to her seat, then has an idea. “Oh,” she says, nodding her head, “if you need a good legal team, I’ll send out the best for you, if it goes to trial. We’ll cover it. Pro bono.”   
“I don’t know what to say, Christen,” Lauren says as she wipes her eyes, “this is incredibly kind and generous of you.” 

“I want to do things right,” Christen says determinedly, “not just what’s right in a business sense, but what’s right morally. You don’t deserve to have your business suffer because someone took advantage of your trust.” 

“Thank you,” Lauren says, nodding at her, “so much.”


	10. Reflections and Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen hangs out at the hospital with Tobin and has a revealing conversation phone conversation with her Father. Later in the evening, she ends up meeting Tobin's Mother and sister. At dinner with Kelley and Julie, Christen reveals her plans.

Sunday, December 29th 

It’s hours later, Christen had run down to the cafeteria before Lauren left, grabbing a salad, some juice and a coffee to bring back to the room. She’s eaten, her coffee is almost gone, but she’s content. 

She phones her Dad and they have a long conversation. He’s proud of her for doing the right thing and supports the decisions she’s made in regarding to what has become an obvious case of embezzlement. He offers the legal team for Lauren’s use and Christen shyly admits she already had as well. He laughs at her. 

“You know,” he says, Christen picturing him leaning back in a wicker seat with his feet up, somewhere on a beach, “you might be on to something with what you’re doing.” 

“Dad,” Christen nervously clears her throat, “I’ve really been thinking of it,”

“Honey,” he says warmly, “that’s wonderful, it really is. You take all the time you want,” he says, “let’s call it a leave of absence, alright? Whether you stay there or come home or go somewhere else, just take this time and really think about what you want to do.” 

“Dad?” Christen asks, hesitantly, “are you,” she pauses, “would you,” she clears her throat nervously, “Dad,” she shakes her head and straightens in her chair, “would you be disappointed if I left the company?” 

“Sweetie, no!” He exclaims, “Hell, I’m glad you’re finally considering it! You’ve been so unhappy for so long, I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’m happy for you, I really am, I mean, yeah, sure, I day dreamed of you running things after I retired,” he says, “but, now, I’m thinking of getting out while the getting is good and I’d be thrilled if you found something that you have passion for. But only on one condition.” 

“What is it?” Christen asks anxiously, wondering what it could be. 

“You have balance,” he says, “you find something meaningful for yourself to do, but you mustn’t let it overpower you, like this job has. I want you to take vacations, your Mom and I want to see texts from you in exotic places and you smiling with your friends, we want to see cute ones of you with someone you love. We just want you to be happy.” 

“Oh, Dad,” Christen cries, sniffing, “I want that, too,” 

“Good,” he replies and Christen can hear the happiness in his voice. “Hey,” he says, “what’s the beeping sound? Where are you?” 

“Oh, I’m at the hospital,” she replies. 

“What?” He exclaims. 

“Oh, no, I’m fine, I’m visiting a friend,” she says hurriedly. 

“A friend?” He asks, “Who is she?” 

“How do you know it’s a girl?” She questions. 

“Give me some credit here,” he chuckles, “she must be really special,” he simply answers. 

“She is, Dad,” Christen says quietly as she looks at Tobin, “I really like her.” 

“Will you tell me about her?” he asks curiously. 

So, Christen does, gushing about the Snow Angel incident, how they met near the elevators and then officially. She tells him about their unexpected dinner together on Christmas Eve and the fun they had. How Christmas Day was so nice and how Tobin taught her to snowshoe. She shares with him Tobin’s struggle with grief and her job and why she’s currently in the hospital.

“She sounds like an exceptional woman honey,” he says, with that smile in his voice, “I hope your Mom and I get to meet her.” 

“I hope so, too,” Christen quietly agrees as she stares at Tobin. 

They end the call shortly after that, both happy and relieved and excited about the future. 

An hour later, Christen’s chair is up against the bed, still holding Tobin’s hand and stroking her head. She’s given her a manicure, finding her little nail care set in the bottom of her purse, happy to do something. She’s currently having a one sided quiet conversation with her, telling her stories about her childhood she hasn’t already shared with her, how she knew she was gay, how she came out to her family and how supportive they are. 

“I’ve always wanted a dog or two,” she says and then sighs, “but I let work come first. I mean, now I see how that hurt me, I let my job hold back my happiness and all it did was make me lose myself in the job.” She leans back, taking a sip of her now cold coffee, then holds her hand again, “You’ve really helped open my eyes,” she smiles at her, full well knowing she can’t hear her, but saying it none the less. 

“So, I think I want to get two dogs,” she smiles again, “but I think the real question is, the deal breaker is, do you like dogs, Tobin?” 

“She does,” a female voice answers from the doorway. Christen’s head shoots up, looking to see two women standing there. 

“Oh, uh,” she says, startled, her hands leaving Tobin, standing upright, her legs pushing the chair back. 

“We didn’t mean to scare you, dear,” the older woman speaks, entering the room, “I’m Tobin’s Mom, Cindy.” 

As Christen takes the few steps to greet them she’s trying her best to channel her cool, calm, corporate demeanor. “I’m C-Chr-Christen,” she stutters, “nice to meet you,” she shakes her hand, wondering how long they were at the door and what they heard. 

“Perry,” the woman who looks a few years older than her greets, “Tobin’s sister.” They shake hands. The family resemblance is undeniable.

What are you, Christen, she asks herself, friend, girlfriend, what? 

“So, Christen,” Cindy smiles at her, “do you work with Tobin?” 

“Oh, no,” she shakes her head, trying to cover her angst. 

They both look at her, questioningly. 

“Uh, friends?” Perry asks, looking at her as if she’s not all there. 

“Yeah,” Christen bobs her head, “we’re friends,” she says quickly, “just a friendly stop to check in on a friend,” she says, turning abruptly and gathering her coat and purse, flustered as Hell. “I should be heading out,” she nods, “nice to meet you,” 

“Oh, Christen,” Cindy says, “would you mind telling us how she’s doing? I spoke with Lauren a few hours ago,” 

“Yeah, please stay,” Perry urges, while Cindy goes to the bedside, looking down at her youngest daughter. 

Christen eyes Perry, feeling as if she’s looking into Tobin’s warm brown eyes, only these ones look scared, “Um, yeah, sure,” she says tentatively, realizing they probably have limited information of how Tobin ended up here. “I can stay for a bit,” she sets her belongings back down on the bench. 

“So, Tobin hasn’t woken up yet,” Christen begins, “they gave her a sedative so could rest,” she says, omitting the part of her being upset. 

“Wait,” Perry interrupts, “could you please start at the beginning? Lauren told Mom that a rescue operation had some hiccups and Tobin and Allie were stranded outside overnight. Do you know the details of it?” 

“Oh,” Christen says, her mouth open, she was under the assumption they knew the whole story, “Yeah, well, she texted me about one in the afternoon that she got called in to do a search for a missing hiker. It was snowing pretty good but not that bad. They went out and started looking, over by the ravine?” she shrugs but then they both nod, knowing the area she’s talking about. 

“So, it’s later, dark out, and the weather has turned, it’s a blizzard, the winds are awful and just as Dawn is about to call off the search for the night, they find him. He fell down the ravine. They get him out safely and are preparing to get him back down the trail, when a tree falls on their snow mobile.” 

“Oh, my Lord!” Cindy exclaims, a hand to her chest. Christen nods. 

“Dawn sends out a crew to come and get them but the only bridge has been hit and demolished by a tree as well.” She says, casting a glance at Tobin, “so, Tobin went out in the storm and found a spot to make a shelter. She makes one, I don’t know how,” she shrugs, “then she comes back and carries Allie and pulls the victim to the new location.” 

“Why was she carrying Allie?” Perry asks, leaning forward, intently listening. 

“Oh, yeah,” Christen nods, “sorry. When they were climbing back up the ravine, she slipped on ice and broke her ankle. Tobin had to pull her up.” 

“Poor thing,” Cindy says sympathetically, stepping over to stand near Christen. 

“Tobin was really tired and had to go get firewood and make sure the shelter was good and then a tree fell, like, right above the shelter on some rocks.” Christen says, frowning, “Tobin went back out, needing to secure ropes and make poles so the tree wouldn’t roll on top of where they were. When they got back down the mountain this morning she passed out. She really didn’t sleep at all.” 

“How did they get them?” Perry questions. 

“The crew and some State Park people built another bridge, Lauren told me they started at four in the morning.” Christen replies. 

“What happened to her face?” Cindy asks, looking over at Tobin.

“I heard she slipped on the big rock while she was tying the ropes on,” Christen answers. 

“Does she have a concussion?” Perry inquires, now looking over at Tobin herself. 

“No, I don’t think so,” Christen replies. “Just exhaustion and exposure.” 

“Hm,” Perry mumbles, getting up to look at her sister. She’s still on her side, curled in the fetal position. Christen watches as Perry crosses her arms and looks down at Tobin with such a sorrowful expression it makes her wonder if this is the sister that lost the child. She sees the tears begin to slide down Perry’s face and then a choking sob comes from her mouth. Perry moves her hands to her face, standing there, crying hard. 

Christen feels her reaction confirms her suspicions and stands, “It was nice to meet, you,” she says quietly to Cindy, once again moving to pick up her belongings and leave the room. As she exits, she looks over her shoulder and sees Cindy coming to Perry’s side, hugging her daughter. 

She speed walks to the elevator, praying neither of them try to stop her. She feels like her presence was an intrusion and she doesn’t want to face questions from them about her relationship with Tobin when she doesn’t have answers. 

XXXX

“Mmmmm,” Tobin groans, moving her legs painfully, twisting on her back. She lets out a deep sigh, her eyes are closed. Perry and Cindy stand up, leaning over the bed, “Tobin?” Cindy questions, “Sweetie, can you hear me?” 

“Chris?” Tobin slurs, furrowing her forehead, “Chris?” 

“Oh, honey, she was here earlier, I’m sorry,” Cindy says, stroking the hair back on Tobin’s forehead. 

“Mom?” she frowns, “What happened?” she asks, “I’m so tired, I can hardly move,” she winces as she shifts in the bed, moving to her back, her eyes still closed. 

“You had a rescue and were stuck out in the woods overnight,” she explains, “you overdid it and are exhausted,” 

“Oh,” Tobin mumbles, blowing a breath noisily through her lips, “Is Allie okay? Jeremy?” 

Cindy takes a tissue from the box on the table near the bed, gently wiping Tobin’s face, “Allie has a broken ankle,” her Mom states, “I’m not sure if she’s here at the hospital still,” she looks at Perry, “and I don’t know who Jeremy is.” 

“Our victim,” Tobin says, “he got lost and fell down a ravine,” 

“Oh,” Cindy comments, unsure what to say. 

“I feel terrible,” Tobin says, “I’m so tired,” 

“Try and sleep honey,” Cindy suggests, “you need to get rest,” she says, “Perry and I’ll will stick around for a while,” 

“Perry?” Tobin whispers, her forehead creased. 

“Hey, Tobs,” Perry says, touching her forearm and giving it a squeeze, “I’m really glad to see you,” she says, her voice cracking from emotion. 

Tobin struggles to open her eyes, “Per,” she chokes out, so tired and out of it, her emotions are all over the place, she begins to cry. 

“It’s okay,” Perry reassures here, “Tobin, I love you,” she says, bending over and awkwardly hugging her. Tobin can’t even lift her arms up, sluggish and so weak, so tired. 

“I’m sorry!” Tobin sobs, “I’m so sorry!” 

Perry lowers the bedrail, sitting on the side, pulling Tobin up carefully and holding her, tightly. 

“I relive it almost every night!” Tobin sobs, “I can’t save him! I couldn’t save Morgan!” 

Perry cradles Tobin’s head, rocking her slowly, “Tobin, I know you did everything you could,” she says, speaking the words Tobin has needed to hear for two years but was too terrified and scared to believe that was truly how Perry felt. “Tobin, I don’t blame you,” 

“I’m so sorry,” Tobin whimpers, the exhaustion roaring back, she’s having trouble even holding her head up. Her body is limp, Perry holding her upright. 

A nurse pokes her head in the room, noticing the spike in Tobin’s heartrate on the monitor at the station. Cindy steps towards her, speaking quietly. 

“I know, Tobs, I know,” Perry hushes her, feeling all of Tobin’s energy drain from within her arms. Tobin’s cries die out, she’s passed out, overwhelmed by emotions and betrayed by her body. 

Perry gently lays her back on the bed, drawing the covers up over her shoulders. She wipes her eyes and Cindy puts her hands on her shoulders as she sobs. She turns and hugs her Mom around the waist, Cindy moving her hands to rub her back. 

XXXX

When she gets to her car, Christen starts it and while she allows it to warm up, she pulls out her phone to read the texts from Kelley. She replies that she’s heading back to the hotel now and should be there in a few minutes. 

Kelley and Julie greet her in the lobby, taking her by the arm and leading her to the restaurant. As they pass the other diners, Christen realizes she’s hungry and, once again, is grateful for her friends. Once they’ve settled in and ordered their meals, Kelley asks to update them on Tobin. 

Christen fills them in on her visit, including her conversation with her Father, what it means to her and what she thinks she may do with herself. Both Julie and Kelley are excited, offering suggestions and being phenomenally supportive, neither thinking of the impact of her leaving would possibly mean for their own jobs. She shares about meeting Tobin’s mother and sister and how awkward she felt. 

“They’re both so nice,” she continues, “but I really felt like I was, I don’t know, trespassing? Intruding?” she shakes her head, “I don’t know, I just had to get out of there.” 

“Have you considered just researching her online?” Julie asks prudently, “I mean, I’m sure whatever happened would come up in a search.” 

“I have,” Christen admits, “I’ve really thought about it, but I think I like just getting to know her and I want to hear it from her. It’s obviously something tragic and awful, so I don’t want to know and then maybe slip up and mention something about it.” 

Julie nods, “I could appreciate that,” 

Kelley is nodding thoughtfully, “That’s pretty smart, Press,” she says, “I wouldn’t have thought of that.” 

They finish up their meal and are considering dessert when their server approaches the table with a large wedge of a decadent looking piece of cake on it and a single lit candle. 

“Happy Birthday!” she smiles as she sets it in front of Christen and places three forks on the table. 

“Guys!” Christen says in surprise, looking between Julie and Kelley who are smiling back at her. 

“We got you gifts!” Kelley announces, drawing out a large cylinder from the bag she was carrying. 

“This is from me,” Julie announces, as Kelley hands her another small, rectangular wrapped gift. 

“Do that one first,” Julie instructs, indicating the smaller package. 

Christen grins at them and then tears into the paper revealing the back cover of a book. She flips it over. It’s a book about yoga. “You said you really liked the class you went to,” Julie shrugs. Christen unwraps the cylinder reveling a yoga mat. 

“Thanks, Jules!” Christen smiles, “I did like it, a lot,” she nods, “now I’ll really have to try it again.” 

Kelley hands over a square box with a smirk. “Here ya go Pressy,” She says with a gleam in her eyes, “a little something to spice your life up.” 

Christen narrows her eyes at her, slowly unwrapping the gift to reveal a plain brown box sealed with a couple pieces of masking tape. She carefully peels back the tape and opens the box on her lap. She eyes Kelley once again with suspicion before shh roots through a layer of tissue paper and pulls out a small bottle. 

“There’s more,” Kelley nods at her, “take them all out,” 

Christen does, finding two additional bottles, setting them on the table, then looking at them. Her face turns instantly beet red. “Kelley!” She hisses, looking at her with wide eyes, “This is lube!” She quickly shuts the box. 

Kelley grins and leans back in her chair, “Yeah, really good flavors, too! There’s one more thing in there.”

She shakes her head violently. “No way!” she exclaims, feeling as if everyone in the restaurant is staring at her when, in fact, nobody is, “Not here,” she protests. 

Kelley gives her a challenging look, “You open that box back up and look at your gift," she threatens, "or I’ll stand up and announce what you’ve already received,” 

Christen huffs, Kelley will do just exactly that, she knows. She slowly opens the flaps, tentatively moving aside the next layer of tissue paper. She flips the last layer aside to see a strapless dildo in all it’s flesh colored glory. Her eyes become as large as saucers, her eyebrows high on her forehead, mouth dropping open. It takes her a minute to realize that she’s got a fairly large dildo in a box on her lap and Kelley has given it to her as a gift. In the middle of a busy restaurant. 

She shuts her mouth, now hearing Julie and Kelley’s hysterical laughter, shoving the tissue over to cover it, dumping the bottles in the box and shutting the flaps. 

“How did- what did- why?” she questions, looking at Kelley searchingly. 

“You need to get your inner whore on, Pressy.” Kelley says sagely, nodding with sexual wisdom and carrying a smirk on her face. 

“Inner whore?” Christen whispers, then taking a deep breath and letting it out noisily. “Uh, thanks?” 

“Oh, you’ll welcome me later,” Kelley smirks, elbowing Julie, “we’ll know exactly when, too.” 

Christen shakes her head, reaching for her wine and chugging the remainder of the glass. “You’re off your rocker,” 

“That’s exactly what you need to do: rock her.” Kelley says enthusiastically. 

Christen groans, balling up the festive gift wrappings and tossing it across the table at them. She purses her lips and shuts her eyes, counting to ten in her head. 

When she opens her eyes, it’s a mix between a glare and curiosity. “Uh, thanks,” she says dryly, “like you’ll know when that happens.” 

After Julie and Kelley compose themselves from their laughter, Christen chuckles, “I love you guys,” she says, feeling a lightness in herself, “thanks for remembering my birthday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this one is kind of short, but we're moving things along. Hope you're enjoying it and thanks for the comments and kudos.


	11. Taking Care of Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The investigator is presented with the resort financials and is convinced Jill is the culprit. Lauren is hesitant to tell her parents. Tobin is released from the hospital and stays with Christen, both equally happy with that plan. Tobin gets to know Julie and Kelley a bit more and their own budding relationships are revealed.

Monday, December 30th 

“Kelley, Julie and Alex are well prepared,” Christen assures Lauren as she sits across from her, “just let the authorities take care of the rest.” 

“I know,” Lauren sighs, “it’s just,” she pauses, “it’s going to break my parents’ hearts, though,” she says, frowning, “Jill has been my Mom’s best friend since college.” 

Christen nods sympathetically, “I’m sure,” she agrees, “but she can’t get away with it, and the less anyone knows the raid is going to happen, the better for all.” 

“So, I’ll make sure I ask the detective when I can tell my parents so they don’t hear it on the news,” Lauren states, repeating the instructions Christen had given her. 

“Yes,” Christen replies. 

“Okay,” she sighs heavily again, still looking troubled. 

“Okay, what else?” Christen asks. She’s gotten to know Lauren fairly well since they’ve met. 

“I don’t know what to do about Tobin,” Lauren confesses with a sigh. “She’s being released this morning some time and I can have someone pick her up,” she says, “but she can’t stay with me, my daughter is sick and Tobin would be susceptible to anything right now.” 

“Oh,” Christen nods.

“All of her friends work here,” Lauren continues, “Allie is laid up as well, and her in-laws are staying with her still.” 

“Does she need someone to keep an eye on her?” Christen asks, not sure why Tobin needs to be supervised. 

Lauren rolls her eyes, “Yes,” she snorts, “she’d be back on the mountain tomorrow if she had her way. I spoke to the doctor this morning, no hard physical labor, like her job, for at least a week. Dawn put her on medical leave.” 

“Hmmm,” Christen hums, nodding her head slowly, “do you think she’d want to stay with me? I mean, or since her Mom and sister were there…” Christen had told Lauren about her hospital visit and meeting Tobin’s family. 

“I’m sure it’s way too soon for Tobin to want to go and stay with either of them,” Lauren shakes her head. She looks up at Christen, eying her carefully, “You’d be willing to hang out with her? She’ll probably whine a lot and be a real pain in the ass,” 

Christen smiles, “No problem,” she says, “you guys can Skype me in for anything if you need to.”

“You’re sure?” Lauren questions, eying her carefully. 

“I’m positive.” Christen states with a nod. 

“That would be amazing,” Lauren says gratefully, “I’d really appreciate it,” 

“I’m glad to help,” she says, “I can go up now and hang out,” she eagerly stands up. 

Lauren stands up and hugs her, “You’re good for her,” she says quietly, “I know you’ll take great care of her.” 

Christen smiles widely at her, pleased to have Lauren’s blessing, “She’s good for me,” she replies, “and she takes great care of me as well,” 

“And that’s how it should be,” Lauren grins. “I’ll let you know how the meeting goes.” 

Christen nods, “Awesome,” she says, moving to the door, “I’ll get my coat and be on my way.” 

XXXX

“No, really,” Tobin says stubbornly, standing next to the car, tightly gripping the top inside of the car door, “I can walk to the room.” 

Christen and Tobin are in a mini-standoff in the parking lot of the resort. Tobin had been failing miserably trying to dress herself when Christen arrived at her room. Tobin was incredibly sore, whining painfully with every movement. 

Christen listened carefully to the discharge nurse’s instructions, making sure to put all of the paperwork in her purse and then followed the nurse who wheeled Tobin out of the room to the lobby, carrying the crutches they supplied her. The crutches were for Tobin to use until she regained her balance, she was walking slightly unsteady. Being so overtired, she was weak and sore from the lactic acid build up in her system. The instructions were for bed rest today, some light stretching and plenty of fluids. 

Now, Christen has one of the resort wheelchairs that Lauren made sure to have available, locked next to the passenger door, having urged Tobin to use it. 

Christen steps around the door to face her, her eyes narrowing slightly. Tobin is giving her a sleepy puppy dog look and Christen is getting cold standing out here, she’s having none of it. 

She takes a deep breath, letting the air come out in a hot puff, then smiles sweetly at her. “Tobin,” she says, her voice quiet and steady, “babe, I need you to sit in that damn chair or else I’ll pull you by your hair and drag you all the way to the room,” 

Tobin sighs, her head dropping down, shoulders slumping, and she nods, “Okay,” she gives in, her voice so quiet, Christen almost missed it. Christen moves to the side, placing a supportive hand on Tobin’s elbow and helps ease her into the seat of the chair. She hangs her purse by the straps on the handle and reaches in and brings out Tobin’s backpack, gently placing it on her lap. Tobin balances the crutches upright, the tips of them on the footpad of the chair. 

Tobin still has her head down as Christen pushes her through the snow covered parking lot to the lobby. 

“Tobin! Hey!” Emily greets from the front desk, “How ya doing bud?” 

Tobin slowly raises her head, squinting at Emily, pushing her glasses up on her nose. “Hey, Em,” she greets quietly, “pretty sore,” she admits, “but okay.” 

“You’ll be back up and around soon, I’m sure,” she nods, “I’m sure Nurse Christen will take very good care of you,” she smirks. 

“Bye, Emily,” Christen calls out and pushes the wheelchair past her to the elevators. They both hear her chuckling as they pass. 

They don’t speak in the when the doors close. Tobin shifts herself a little, stifling a groan. She cranes her neck back to look up at Christen who’s standing behind her, hands on the chair. 

“Thank you,” she says sincerely, giving her a little smile. 

Christen lightly places her hand on Tobin’s shoulder, giving it soft rub, “You’re welcome, honey,” she says warmly, smiling down at her. 

“Sorry I was being difficult,” Tobin apologizes. 

“It’s okay,” Christen says, “I know you’re feeling awful and I’m sure it’s hard to let go and get pushed around in this chair,” 

The doors open and she pushes her out and down the hall to her room. She keys the door and turns the chair around and enters backwards, bringing Tobin into the living room area. She takes the backpack from her lap, setting it down on the coffee table. She sets her purse next to it and takes off her jacket, placing on the back of the chair near the kitchen. 

“Can I give you a hand getting your coat off?” she asks Tobin as she stands before her. 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, “that would be great,” she nods, her voice getting lower and sighing heavily. Christen carefully helps get her arms from her jacket, pulling it out from behind her. Tobin slouches in her chair, looking spent. 

“You wanna lay down?” Christen asks, looking at her watch, “I can give you some Tylenol if you want,” 

“Yeah,” she says, “I think I should,” she gives Christen a slight smile, “thanks,” 

“No problem,” Christen replies, “I think a nap sounds good,” she smiles at her, “do you mind if I join you?” 

“Sure,” Tobin looks up and smiles at her, “sounds really nice,” 

Once in the bedroom, Christen makes sure to lock the wheels on the chair, “Okay,” she says, “just make sure you hold on to me, alright, then you can shift over and sit,” 

“Okay,” Tobin says, tightening her grip on her chair, “you count, on three,” 

“One,” Christen says, placing her forearm under Tobin’s arm, “two and three,” she pulls as Tobin does her best to push up, her legs wobbly and Christen places a hand on her back, helping to steady her. 

Tobin stutter steps to her side, sitting down slowly, wincing as she does. 

“Sore, baby?” Christen asks, brushing a lock of hair from Tobin’s face, looking concerned. 

“Yeah,” she says, “like I got hit by a truck,” she nods, “like, every single muscle in my body.” 

“Oh,” Christen coos, “I’m so sorry,” she says, “what can I do to help?” 

“Can I have something to drink?” Tobin asks, “I need to stay hydrated,” 

“Right,” Christen straightens up, snapping her fingers and “I’ll be right back,” She spins and leaves the room. As she looks in her fridge, she smiles, knowing that Lauren had someone come on and stock it, her morning conversation with Tobin’s doctor informing her on what Tobin would need. 

“Babe, would you like a banana?” Christen calls out from the kitchen. She waits a moment for a response, then peeks her head around the corner of the fridge, giving herself a clear view into the bedroom through the doorway. Tobin is lying on her side, her back to her, most likely asleep. 

Christen puts the Gatorade in her hand back in the fridge and walks into the bedroom to take a look. Yep, she’s out, maybe even drooling a little already. She removes Tobin’s glasses and sets them on the nightstand and lifts Tobin’s legs onto the bed. She moves to the closet and brings out the spare blanket, setting it on the bed. Then she unties Tobin’s boots and slowly works them off her feet. She spreads the blanket over her, tossing the remainder on her side and then gets in bed herself, covering up and scooting closely behind her. She hears Tobin utter a sigh, slightly scooting herself back into Christen’s space and settle down. 

Christen chances it and moves Tobin’s hair from around her neck leaning forward and placing a lingering kiss on her jaw, under her ear. She avoids the scrape on her jaw, moving down towards her collarbone, as her hand maneuvers under Tobin’s elbow and pushes forward so she can lightly caress Tobin’s sternum. 

She lays her head back on the pillow and shuts her eyes, feeling so happy that Tobin is here with her. 

Christen wakes and the room is dark, she blinks as she adjusts her eyes, seeing the open drapes and soft light coming in from the ski resort lights on the slope. Tobin is still sleeping soundly, unmoving next to her. She checks her watch and realizes it’s five-thirty. She slowly disconnects herself from Tobin and rolls on her back, feeling slightly hungry. If I’m a little hungry, I’m sure Tobin will be starving, she thinks. 

She rolls to her side, away from Tobin and clicks on the beside light. I should order dinner, she nods to herself. Actually, I should wake up Tobin and see what she wants, I want her to have something she really enjoys as her first real meal after what she went through. 

She rolls over and leans on her arm, using her right hand to gently stroke Tobin’s arm. “Babe?” she calls softly, “Tobin, wake up,”   
“Huh,” Tobin grumbles, her voice deep and slurry. 

“Wake up, babe,” Christen repeats, gently scratching her arm with her nails. 

“Mmm,” Tobin hums, “hungry,” she mumbles.

“That’s why I woke you,” Christen smiles, feeling good that she’s on point to meet Tobin’s needs, “I was going to order room service, do you know what you’d like?” 

Tobin groans as she rolls on her back, her eyes fluttering open. “What time is it?” she questions, “What day is it?” 

“It’s around five-thirty on Monday night,” Christen explains, “we napped when we got here,” 

“Oh, God, I’m so sore,” Tobin complains as she winces and slowly moves her arms. She shifts and winces, “my hair hurts,” she sighs, “this is the worst,” 

“Well, I don’t know what to do about your hair, but let’s order some food and I can help you stretch out, yeah?” Christen offers. 

“Yeah,” Tobin agrees. 

Christen helps Tobin decide on her meal and ultimately they both order breakfast. She places the order and then returns to the bed. 

Tobin remains on her back as Christen lifts her leg, bending it for a deep stretch, Tobin biting her lip from the pain. “I’m sorry!” Christen squeaks, looking down at her apologetically. 

“It’s okay,” Tobin gives her a faint smile, “I’ll be okay, it’s all the lactic acid built up.” 

“Would a banana help?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin agrees, “do you think you could help me to the bathroom first?” she asks shyly. 

“Of course,” Christen nods.

“This is so good,” Tobin grins tiredly at Christen, bringing a shaky hand up holding her fork. She shovels another bite of her omelet. “Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it,” she adds quietly. 

“I’m happy to have you here,” Christen smiles softly at her. “Oh, Lauren’s coming up in a few minutes.” 

Tobin perks up, nodding, “Have you talked to Allie?” 

Christen shakes her head, “I don’t have her number.” She explains apologetically. 

“Ah,” she nods, taking her last bite. “Do you happen to have my phone?” 

Christen nods, finishing her eggs and standing up. She brings Tobin’s backpack to her, moving her plate and setting the pack in front of her. 

“Are you feeling better?” Christen asks, noticing how she winces as she moves. 

“A little,” Tobin states, “like, I’m still super tired and sore as all get out, but my head is clearer, you know? Not so foggy.” 

Christen nods, gathering the plates to place them on the delivery tray. She wonders if Tobin remembers her Mom and sister visiting her last night. She wonders how it went. She sits down at the table across from her and Tobin looks up from her phone. 

“I have an idea,” Christen says, a mysterious smile on her face.

“Yeah?” Tobin asks curiously.

Christen nods with a slight smirk, “I think you need a massage,” she nods knowingly. 

A smile spreads across Tobin’s face, “Yeah?” her eyes light up, “That would be amazing.” 

A knock at the door interrupts them, Christen stands and wiggles her eyebrows at Tobin, “Hold that thought,” she smirks. 

She opens the door to Lauren and as Christen opens the door wider, she finds Allie crutching in behind her. 

“Harry!” Allie exclaims, “How are you?” 

“Hey, Harry,” Tobin smiles at her, her eyes drooping a little, “how are you feeling?” 

“Here,” Christen offers Allie a chair, “sit,” 

“Oh, thanks, Christen,” Allie grins at her, sitting down in the chair recently vacated by Christen. 

“I’m doing good,” Allie states, looking Tobin over carefully, “how are you?” 

“Like I’ve been running up and down Mt. Hood for days,” Tobin replies, smiling faintly. 

“Christen,” Lauren says, “do you guys need anything?” 

“I think we’re set for now,” Christen nods, “thanks, though.”

The four visit for a while, Allie sharing more to the story of the rescue. Lauren plays a few of the videos of Tobin singing, Tobin immediately turning scarlet with embarrassment. 

“I couldn’t think of anything to say!” she defends herself, “Allie told me I had to keep talking!” 

Lauren doesn’t play the songs Tobin sang about Christen, feeling it wouldn’t be appropriate right now and not wanting to embarrass her and Christen. Allie glances at her, a knowing look passing between them. 

Tobin begins to fade, slouching in her chair, her eyes becoming little slits. “Thanks for coming by, guys,” she says softly, “Hey, how’s Jeremy?” 

“Super lucky!” Allie exclaims, “Fractured hip, no surgery, bruised back.” 

Tobin’s relief is evident. “Cool,” she says quietly, “glad it’s not super serious.” 

“Tobs, I think it’s time you head to bed,” Lauren states, “can I give you a hand?”

Tobin nods, stiffly sitting up in her chair. Lauren tries to help her up, but struggles, so Christen takes Tobin’s other side and they get her to the bathroom. 

While Tobin is in there, Lauren offers to grab some of Tobin’s clothes from her cabin tomorrow and bring them up. 

After they get Tobin settled in bed, the three speak quietly about the meeting with the investigator, Lauren stating it went very well. The Police would need a few days to sift through the evidence and get the proper paperwork sent in to add the resort to the warrant to search Jill’s business and home.

After Lauren and Allie leave and Christen finds herself wondering what to do. She brings her laptop and a notebook into the bedroom, changes for bed and begins to research to her idea. She checks her emails first, smiling when she sees the scant few that are work related. The Walsh deal took seven months to complete and was so consuming of her time, she hadn’t been even scoping out any other potential companies to vet for possible interest in acquiring. 

Seems like the perfect time to leave, she thinks to herself. She looks over at Tobin, seeing how she’s on her side facing her, sleeping peacefully. She switches screens on her laptop, deciding to check out the job opportunities in Portland. 

XXXX

Tuesday, December 31st 

Christen wakes early, unable to sleep. She rolls over and smiles at Tobin sleeping next to her. She decides to start her day and leaves the bed. After her shower, she’s getting dressed and her phone chirps, indicating a text. It’s Julie asking to meet for breakfast. 

She texts back, replying with an invite to her and Kelley to her room and order, not wanting to leave Tobin alone. They agree to come up in a few minutes. 

“He looked so pissed,” Kelley is sharing the highlights of their meeting with the investigator yesterday morning, “this is the third place he’s looking into with Jill and the books.” 

“Wow,” Christen mumbles as she chews. 

“And,” Julie adds, raising an index finger for emphasis, “they’re raiding her at the end of the week.” 

“Good timing,” Christen nods as she reaches for her tea. She’s not normally a tea drinker but since Tobin’s here, she made sure to have some and decided to try it this morning. She doesn’t feel the same jolt of caffeine like she does from coffee, but she likes the taste. 

“Yeah, it just worked out perfectly,” Kelley adds, “it was already set to happen, the resort is just the icing on the cake.” 

“He said they would probably be able to get the judge to change the warrants and be able to take all of her financials from her business now, not just the two they were investigating originally.” Julie nods. 

They’re wrapping up their work discussion when Christen hears the door close to the bathroom in her suite. She smiles as she stands and uses the Keurig to get some hot water in a mug and sets it down on the table next to her seat. She retrieves a teabag and places it next to the mug, moving the cream close by. 

Kelley and Julie say nothing but share a look between themselves. A few minutes later, they hear a low gravelly voice. 

“Morning,” Tobin greets quietly, leaning up against the bedroom doorframe, “how’s it going?” 

The three turn and see her, looking sleepy. She’s wearing the same clothes from yesterday, a flannel shirt in shades of greys with black and black jogging pants, fuzzy socks on her feet, one of the socks half coming off, the material stretched out in front of her toes. Her hair is brushed, glasses on and Christen doesn’t think she’s ever looked any better. 

Christen stands and walks to her, giving her a smile, “Good morning,” she greets, placing a soft kiss on her cheek and folding down one side of her collar that is sticking up, “may I escort you to your table?” she asks quietly. 

Tobin smiles and stands straight, allowing Christen to loop her arm through hers and slowly step to the table. 

“How are you feeling?” Kelley asks, looking Tobin over. 

“Uh,” Tobin mumbles, “it’s kind of too early to tell, ya know?” 

“Not a morning person?” Julie asks as she finishes her coffee. 

“Usually I am,” Tobin says, raising her hand to cover a yawn, “but I feel like I got my ass kicked by a Sasquatch or something,” 

“Well, you’re not as pale as you’re were yesterday and you’re walking mostly on your own, so that’s a big improvement,” Christen smiles at her, “would you like some pancakes and bacon?” 

“That would be awesome,” Tobin grins at her. Christen gives her shoulder a very light squeeze as she leaves the table and puts the plate of food she ordered into the microwave to reheat it. 

“What are you guys doing today?” Tobin asks Julie and Kelley, adding cream to her tea. 

“We fly out today,” Julie answers, “but not until around five,” 

“Yeah,” Kelley nods, “so I’m going to hit the slopes for a bit and get some lunch before I start packing.” 

“I’m going to take the rental and take a drive,” Julie adds. 

“Is Zach going with?” Kelley asks teasingly, giving her a smug look. 

“Yeah, he is.” Julie nods and gives her a cheesy smile, “Is Emily going snowboarding with you?” 

Kelley begins to blush a little, but she keeps her head high and grins back at them, “Yeah,” she says “she thinks she’s a better ‘boarder than me. I must prove her wrong.” 

“Slope or half pipe?” Tobin asks, smiling as Christen sets her plate in front of her along with three Tylenol. Tobin looks up and gives her a wide smile, “Thank you,” and Christen grins back at her. When Christen takes her seat, it’s much closer to Tobin’s and somehow her hand finds its way to the top of Tobin’s leg, resting there casually. 

“Slope,” Kelley answers. “I’ve only tried the pipe once and it scared the hell out of me,” 

Tobin nods as she drizzles an alarming amount of syrup on her pancakes, “It’s not for everyone,” she comments.

“Do you go on the pipe?” Kelley follows up, intrigued. This is really the first time they’ve spent any time with Tobin so she’s curious. 

“Not a lot,” Tobin shrugs, “Lauren thinks it’s too dangerous and I’ll hurt myself,” she shakes her head, “she doesn’t even ski, so.” 

“Is the pipe where they do the tricks?” Julie asks, setting both elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands. 

“Yeah,” Tobin says as she begins to cut her pancakes, “Kelley, did you have an instructor when you tried the pipe?” 

“No,” she shakes her head, “it was at late at night and we’d kind of been drinking,” she explains. 

“Well,” Tobin gives her a smile, “if you ever come back and want to try it again,” she says, “be sober and I’ll give you some lessons on breaking it down.” She reaches for her mug, “You surf, so you’ll able to relate well, it’s like a stationary wave,” she gives her a confident nod. 

“Yeah?” Kelley says, her eyes growing larger. “Maybe if you feel up to it,” she smiles, “I’ll see you this weekend,” 

Christen’s eyebrows raise in question, “Really?” 

“Yeah,” Kelley casually shrugs, “Em is pretty cool and we agreed to meet up again.” 

“That’s cool,” Tobin says grinning at her, “she’s pretty awesome,” 

“And what about you, missy?” Christen asks Julie who has become quiet, yet for some reason is blushing. 

“Hum?” she asks, pretending not to hear the question. Kelley elbows her, and she gives her a glare as she rubs her arm, “Fine,” she says, “yes, I’ll be here this weekend as well.” 

“Zach?” Christen questions, her eyes hopeful. 

Julie just nods with a big smile on her face. 

“Woah,” Tobin is surprised, “you’re seeing Zach?” 

“Yes,” Julie says quickly, “please tell me he’s not a womanizer or a serial killer,” she pleads. 

“No, no, no,” Tobin says gently, “he’s a great guy,” she assures her, “he doesn’t, like, hook up with guests or sleep around. He’s a serious dude about that stuff,” she nods at Julie, then Kelley, “Em, too, you know.” 

She pierces some of her pancake, bringing it to her mouth, “Just from the little I know of you both,” she says, “you guys will be great together, Zach and Em are like you guys- good people.” 

“Thanks, dude,” Kelley says genuinely, “I appreciate it,” 

“Me, too,” Julie adds, “and for the record, I think you’re pretty great yourself,” 

“Ah,” Tobin mumbles, looking down at her plate, Christen smiling as she sees Tobin’s ear tips turning a shade of red, “thanks,” 

“I’ll withhold my evaluation until you teach me to half pipe,” Kelley announces with chuckle. 

“I’ll have you shredding that thing before the day ends,” Tobin declares grinning at her, “like I said, if you surf, it’s gonna click, dude,” 

“That would be pretty awesome,” Kelley says excitedly, “hey, does Emily do the half pipe?” 

“She’s insane,” Tobin shakes her head, “dude, her aerials are so sick,” 

Julie looks at her watch, “I should head out,” she says, “Tobin, it’s been really nice getting to know you,” she stands up, “I’m so glad you’re feeling better,” 

“Thanks,” Tobin replies, “I’m sorry we didn’t get to go out this weekend,” 

“Well,” Julie smiles at her, “maybe we will next weekend?” 

“We’ll make something work,” Tobin promises. 

Kelley gives Tobin a knuckle punch as she stands from the table, “Alright, bro, I’m counting on you to make me look good out there,” 

“No sweat,” Tobin grins. 

Christen walks them to the door, “Thanks for coming over guys,” she says, giving each of them a hug, “have fun!” 

“You too!” Kelley says, “Don’t forget your birthday present!” she smirks at her. Christen slaps her shoulder, “Get out!” she demands with a laugh, pushing her out the door. 

“Chris,” Julie hugs her tightly, “she’s a good one,” she says whispers in her ear, “follow you heart.” 

“I will,” Christen says quietly to her, “I think I’m ready to,” 

They both smile at each other, equally excited and terrified by their lives at the moment. 

Tobin is nearly finished with her breakfast as Christen joins her with a fresh mug of tea, “Would you like another?” she points to Tobin’s mug, “or would you like some orange juice?” 

“Oh! Juice would be awesome,” Tobin nods, “I can get it, though,” 

“No, sit and finish,” Christen instructs as she walks to the fridge, “how about a shower after this for you and then a massage?” 

“Yeah?” Tobin asks as Christen comes back with the galloon of orange juice and two glasses.

“Oh yeah,” Christen arches an eyebrow at her as she pours the juice. 

While Tobin was in the shower, Christen scurried around the room, implementing her plan. She figured out how to turn on the gas fireplace, stripped the guest bed of its comforter and added the two spare blankets to it, making a soft bed in front of the hearth. She put the do not disturb sing on the door handle, twisting the lock and chaining the door. It was overcast so she left opened the drapes, letting the dim light filter into the room. She found her sound dock and cued up her calming music playlist. 

A knock at the door sent her into a momentary panic. When she opens it, Lauren greets her, apologizing that she can’t visit and handing her a nylon duffle bag of Tobin’s clothing and other necessities. Then she’s off. Christen breathes a sigh of relief, glad Lauren didn’t want to stop and chat or notice the blankets by the fireplace. She’s feeling anxious and horny and wants to get everything in place. 

When she hears the water turn off, she enters the bathroom, the hot, humid air hitting her. Tobin was just pulling back the curtain, so she hands her a towel. The shower had a bench that Tobin was sitting on. 

“Good shower?” Christen smiles at her. 

“Fantastic!” Tobin grins as she towels off, “Best thing about hotels, never ending hot water!” 

Christen is looking through her toiletry bags, smiling when she finds her small bottle of coconut oil. She sets it on the counter and looks over at Tobin who has her hand out, squinting at it. 

“What?” she questions, wondering what she’s doing. 

“It looks like I got a manicure,” Tobin says, holding her hand in front of her face, squinting as she studies her fingernails. 

“Uh,” Christen shrugs bashfully, “I gave you one while you were sleeping,” she says quietly. 

“Yeah?” Tobin looks up at her, “When?” 

“At the hospital,” Christen replies, “you were really out and I got bored and your nails were just filthy.” 

“You were at the hospital?” Tobin asks, clearly surprised. 

Christen nods, “I didn’t want you to be alone,” she answers simply, “I stayed until your Mom and sister came,” 

“Oh,” Tobin’s eyes go wide, her body tensing, “you met them?” 

Christen nods and smiles at her, “Yes, they were very nice,” 

Tobin relaxes just slightly, biting her lower lip. Then she looks at her, “Thank you,” she says, looking at her hand once more, “they look nice,” 

“You’re very welcome,” Christen grins at her, “ready?” 

“Uh, I need to get dressed,” Tobin says, slowly sliding out of the shower and standing. Christen is pleased that Tobin feels comfortable enough to have no problem with her nakedness, she’s not sure she would be if the roles were changed. 

“Here,” Christen helps her into the white fluffy robe, “this is all you need,” 

Tobin arches an eyebrow at her and then shakes her head as she follows her out of the bathroom. Tobin stops when she sees the set up Christen had created. 

“Woah,” she says slowly, her eyes looking at the fire and the blankets spread out on the floor. 

“Welcome to Press Spa, I believe it is time for your massage, Ms. Heath,” Christen announces, shaking the small bottle in her raised, a slight smirk on her face.


	12. A Massage And So Much More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen gives Tobin a massage. Yes, there is a happy ending. They spend most of their day with Tobin sleeping and Christen reading her book, then decide to go to Tobin's cabin so Christen make dinner. Their bond is increasing. 
> 
> They discuss their relationship and make a decision. They celebrate the New Year. 
> 
> Tobin's sister wants her to come for lunch the next day.

Tuesday, December 31st 

Tobin looks at Christen, her mouth slightly open, she takes a couple of slightly unsteady steps to her, Christen lifting a hand to steady her. Tobin brings her hand up to lightly caress Christen’s jaw, two fingers skimming it as they lean in to kiss. 

After a minute when they begin to kiss heatedly, Christen steps back, shaking a finger at her, “Let’s not get too worked up,” she says, “this is purely a therapeutic massage.” 

Tobin nods as she licks her lips, “Well, maybe I just like kissing you,” she says and opens her robe and lets it fall to the floor, “Should I lay down there?” She asks, faking innocence. 

Christen gulps at her, taking in Tobin’s body in the light, how her muscles are defined, the bruises on her knees and the small scrape on her shin. She nods, “On your stomach,” she says quietly, willing her voice not to tremble. 

Tobin nods and Christen helps her slowly gets in position, Tobin pulling a pillow to her chest so her head drapes over it. She spreads her arms out, closing her eyes. Christen takes in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she straddles Tobin’s firm ass. 

“Lift your head,” she instructs, “I want to put your hair up,” 

Tobin does and Christen uses a hair tie to put it in a loose bun atop her head. 

She ghosts her fingers over Tobin’s back, watching how her muscles twitch and goosebumps pop up. 

“Are you cold?” she asks as she continues to make Tobin’s flesh pucker under her touch. 

“No,” Tobin replies, her voice muffled from the pillow, “it tickles,” 

“Ah,” Christen says, scratching her lightly, “sorry,” 

“S’okay,” Tobin mumbles, letting out a breath. 

Christen removes her hands and picks up the bottle, squirting a small amount into her palm and then rubbing her hands together. She starts with Tobin’s neck, gliding lightly at first then using her fingers to push and knead the soft silky skin. 

When she shifts her hands and begins to work her shoulders, she feels Tobin tense under her and utter a cry. She stops, lifting her hands off her. 

“Did I hurt you?” she asks quickly, concerned. 

“No, it’s fine, just sore,” Tobin says, “it’s helping, though, it’s okay,” 

“Maybe I shouldn’t go as hard,” Christen utters as she begins with a much lighter touch, now nervous. 

“No, please,” Tobin lifts her head, craning her neck to try and catch her eye, “just keep working it, you’ll get the knots out,” 

“Okay,” Christen says, “but you tell me it if actually is hurting you, yeah?” 

“I will,” Tobin hums as she relaxes again, “please don’t stop.” 

“Okay,” Christen murmurs, using her fingers to work the knotted muscles. She does her best to ignore the moans and groans Tobin emits, knowing it’s a physical response, not sexual. She keeps telling that to herself, but she can feel the moisture growing in between her own legs as she works. 

Christen works hard on Tobin’s shoulders, feeling how tight they are, feeling powerful as she feels them slowly relaxing and loosening under her touch. She imagines they had to be sore from Tobin cutting down a tree and chopping wood for to make the poles. Tobin is a ball of putty in her hands as she works, issuing occasional groans as she works a tight area. 

The feeling of Tobin’s skin is incredible, so soft and pliable with the powerful muscles lying just underneath the surface. Lower she travels, to her low back, then gripping her firm ass, working it hard, then giving herself a break and lightly teasing the backs of her thighs before returning to the deep, long strokes from behind her knee up to her ass. She continues working it, making sure it’s loose, having felt how tight they were. 

This is feeling more than just a massage to Christen, she’s feeling a connection here as her hands move over Tobin’s body. She wants to make her feel good, she wants her pain to leave her body, she wants to be the one who helps her. She feels like they’ve made a connection mentally and now, even though they’ve already had sex before, she’s making a physical connection with her. 

This is means more to her than the sex at the moment, it’s Tobin opening herself up to her, offering her body and trusting Christen to care for her. When Christen arrived at the hospital to bring Tobin back and asked her if she would be okay staying with her to recover, Tobin immediately replied it would be fine, as long as it wasn’t interfering with her work. 

Her calves are rock hard, Christen marveling at the definition as she works her right one with both hands. She’s moved to the side of Tobin, methodically working down her left leg to her feet. Tobin utters a long groan as she massages her arches.

“That feels so good, babe,” she mumbles, her head to the side, arms splayed out. 

“I’m glad,” Christen says quietly, “I want you to feel good,” 

She shifts again and works her right leg. The fireplace is at her back, the heat of it warming her to the point she’s getting uncomfortable. She pauses for a moment, removing her sweater, tossing it aside, working in her bra. Much better, she thinks, and then an idea hits and she smirks. She finishes Tobin’s right leg and pauses once more. 

“Let me do your arms and then you can turn over,” she says quietly as she unfastens her bra, tossing it next to her sweater. She slides her leggings and panties down, getting out them quickly before she crawls to Tobin’s side and begins to massage her hand. 

Thankfully, Tobin’s eyes remain closed, her head turned towards her, the area around her right eye shade of greens, purples and black. Christen switches to her left hand, making sure to focus on her biceps and triceps, knowing they would be sore. 

“Okay, turn over,” she instructs, watching as Tobin twists over, a blissed out smile on her face, eyes still closed. Christen is startled when she sees Tobin’s eyes are wet. She’s crying. 

“Honey, are you okay?” she asks, concerned she may have hurt her. 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, her chin quivering, “I’m good.” 

Christen settles her butt on her legs, placing her hand on Tobin’s sternum, “No, you’re not,” she says quietly, “what is it? Does the massage hurt too much?” 

Tobin slowly shakes her head, sniffing as she struggles to reply. But she can’t and a sob escapes her lips, her chest rising as she begin to weep. 

“Oh, baby,” Christen soothes, now shifting to sit crosslegged next to her, taking Tobin’s right hand in hers, sliding her other hand up to hold Tobin’s jaw. She bewildered at Tobin being upset, her mind racing. 

Tobin is overwhelmed by her emotions, seeing Christen’s warm gaze at her, how Christen so willingly and gently takes care of her. How thoughtful she is to her. It makes her chest tighten and warms her heart that she’s receiving such tenderness from her. She realizes how much she’s missed it so much since Morgan died. She didn’t think she’d ever feel so safe and secure with someone else again and knowing they’ve only known each other for such a short time, it blows her mind. 

“You just,” Tobin starts, her voice cracking, “you’re so nice,” she sniffs, “and you’re being so sweet to me,” she chokes out, “and I’ve really missed feeling this,” she confesses, another round of tears come and she closes her eyes to fight them. 

Christen slides her legs out to lie along Tobin’s body, going up on one elbow, her hand still caressing Tobin’s jaw. 

“Tobin,” she says quietly, feeling her tears slide down her cheeks, smiling softly when Tobin opens her eyes to look at her, “I want to take care of you,” she says, using her thumb to wipe away the tears from Tobin’s eye, “the other night, I was so worried, worried you were so tired, worried you were cold, I was fearing you might get hurt. This is where I want to be right now, right here, giving you a massage and helping you feel better.” 

Tobin is looking at her with such vulnerability, such tenderness, Christen propels herself over to kiss her. “I really like you,” she husks, their faces close, “and I want to be with you, in whatever way we can make it work,” 

Tobin smiles at her, “Me too,” she says softly, “thank you for this,” 

Christen studies her, smiling back at her, “You’re very welcome,” she smiles bigger, “now, can we finish this?” 

“Please,” Tobin smiles back, “you’re really good at giving a massage, did you know that?” 

“No,” Christen replies honestly, “this is the first time I’ve ever given one,” 

Tobin raises her eyebrows, “Really?” she questions, “I’m im _pressed_.” 

Christen groans, “Do you know how many times I’ve heard that?” She brushes a few strands of Tobin’s back from her face, “You’ll need to be a bit more original, Heath,” she grins at her. 

“Noted,” Tobin nods, then looks serious, “thank you,” 

“You’re welcome,” Christen replies. 

Tobin glances down from Christen’s face, her eyes scanning over her nakedness then traveling back up to meet her. “I thought this was strictly therapeutic?” 

Christen shrugs, her eyes ablaze, “I guess I changed my mind,” she says as she crawls down and begins to move her hands over the tops of Tobin’s feet, then her shins, spreading Tobin’s legs as she works higher up to her quads. Christen is staring at Tobin’s center, seeing the scant, soft hair, the glistening slit. Tobin is wet, almost dripping for her. Her hands move dangerously close to touching her core, Tobin’s moan changing from one of pain to desire. 

She moves her hands up to Tobin’s hips, shifting her legs so she’s in between them. She glides her fingers over Tobin’s abdominals, feeling the muscular ridges, and how her breathing has increased. Christen’s own breathing has increased in pace as she straddles Tobin, their cores touching. She moves her hands to the underside of Tobin’s breasts. She continues to massage her, then stopping to play and tease her nipples. She makes the small buds stand at attention, rolling them through her fingers and pulling at them softly. 

“You’re teasing me,” Tobin pants, rocking her hips into Christen’s, feeling the wetness of Christen meet her own. Christen grinds her hips as she works on Tobin’s chest, massaging her pecks, making sure she does a complete job before she abandons it to take her. 

She leans forward, her hands planted on the floor at Tobin’s sides, kissing her neck. She moves up for her mouth to meet Tobin’s, both hungry for each other. Short moans accompany them with twisting tongues and both breathing noisily through their noses. Christen slides down so her weight is partially on Tobin, her elbows at her sides, gliding gently up and down, teasing both of their clits. Tobin rocks her hips with her in, meeting her slow pace. 

They break free, both panting quietly, hushed tones filling their ears with the background of soft music. Christen trails her mouth down Tobin’s neck, the faint flavor of coconut on her tongue as she languidly makes her way down Tobin’s body. 

Her first touch is delicious, loving Tobin’s taste, wanting more. 

“Ooohh,” Tobin moans, her head back with abandon, arms still out to their sides, spread out for Christen to do as she pleases. So, she does. She continues to flick her tongue through her folds, twisting and then sucking on her. She’s increasing her pace and her intensity, building up Tobin who was half gone when she started. Christen had thought about how she wanted to take this slow, but as soon as she started, her desire to get Tobin off took over. She feels Tobin’s legs trembling, moving on their own accord, Tobin moaning with her exhales, her hips moving wildly. 

Christen bites at her clit, not too hard, just enough to pull it a little, then sucks hard on it, swirling her tongue around as Tobin flails in her orgasm. She’s heaving forward, jerking her hips, groaning loudly. Then she collapses, flat on her back, breathing hard, glistening with a light sheen of sweat. 

Satisfied she’s pleased her well, Christen gently wipes at her mouth, licking her fingers and moving up next to her, pressing her chest into Tobin’s side. She’s using her nails to scratch lightly on Tobin’s stomach, resting her head on Tobin’s shoulder. 

“That was wonderful,” Tobin breathes out, her voice so low and scratchy, a smile still on her face. 

“I want you to feel good,” Christen insists, twisting her hips and slinging a leg over one Tobin’s. She feels Tobin’s arm lightly hit her back, “Sorry,” Tobin chuckles, “I don’t have much control of myself right now,” 

Christen moves her head up, nudging Tobin’s jaw softly and their lips meeting for a sweet kiss, “It’s okay,” she whispers, “just rest,” 

Tobin nods slightly, her breathing back to normal, “That was so good,” she mumbles, her eyes closed, drifting to sleep. Christen watches as she sleeps, her heart warm at how peaceful she looks. Her eye doesn’t look as swollen as it did last night, although it’s blackening now, becoming more colorful with shades of purple, reds and maroon and the bruising is moving under her eye now. She could get used to this. There’s a small bruise forming under her stitches on her cheek. 

As Christen thinks about how Tobin received her injuries, it dawns on her the similarities of their work ethics. Christen sacrificed her personal life for her job, working late nights and weekends, that drive to perform, that need to complete a project and see things through. 

Sure, their occupations are about as opposite as you can get, but it’s that will, that commitment. 

Feeling a little tired herself, Christen pulls a blanket over and covers them and settles in, snuggling against Tobin, feeling the steady rise and fall of her chest against her head. 

Christen wakes to Tobin placing insistent kisses on her neck, her hair tickling her. She moves towards her, feeling Tobin’s hand lightly rub slide along her side. She turns her head without opening her eyes to accept Tobin’s mouth. Then she feels Tobin’s hand slide down from her side, massaging her thigh, so gentle, so softly. 

Without speaking, she spreads her legs, Tobin moving in, her fingers finding Christen’s heat, feeling the warmth and wetness. There’s no teasing as Christen is wet and Tobin slowly enters her with two long fingers, making Christen cry out in pleasure, whimpering at her touch, pulling her head in to kiss her hard. 

Tobin shifts and breaks away from their kiss, moving her head directly to Christen’s breast, sucking on it hard, nipping her skin around her rising bud, then gently twisting her nipple in her mouth, as if she can’t get enough of it. She moans while her mouth is on her breast, sending a shockwave of shivers through Christen’s body. 

Her movements become more insistent, her fingers now curling as she partially withdraws them, Christen’s hips rising to meet her thrusts as the heat spreads through her. It’s when Tobin’s lips leaves her breast and meets her mouth, kissing her with such tenderness, that Christen loses control, groaning into Tobin’s mouth as she orgasms. 

She relaxes into the blankets, partially pulling the one covering them down, opening her eyes her see Tobin giving her this adorable sleepy smile. Christen pulls her in for another round of kissing, then directs her head to lay on her chest. She feels how Tobin relaxes, her body molding with hers in a way Vero’s never did. Now that she thinks of it, Vero wasn’t that great of a cuddler. She would selfishly position herself in ways comfortable for herself and not Christen, leaving her with an elbow jabbing into her side or a knee pressing awkwardly against her thigh. 

It would only last for a few minutes before she rolled over and went to sleep as well. 

She thinks Tobin is a great snuggler and her opinion is confirmed when Tobin adjusts herself and brings her arm around Christen’s stomach, straightening her near leg against her and loosely sliding her other over Christen’s. 

They don’t speak, just rest and then slowly drift to sleep once more. 

Tobin may be an amazing snuggler, but when she’s as tired as she is, she’s a heavy sleeper. Christen’s eyes pop open, noticing the fading light in the room, her music playlist having moved from a calming one to her upbeat running one. She looks down and sees the top of Tobin’s head on her chest, feeling what she believes is drool accumulating between her breasts. 

They had two more rounds of sex, the last one both of them coming together getting each other off. It was amazing, looking in each other’s eyes as they worked the other up, lying on their sides, teasing then moving as if it was almost a race to see who could get the other one off first. 

She chuckles softly, not caring about the drool, but realizing she needs to pee. Badly. Slowly she moves to work herself free of Tobin’s grasp, moving her pillow in her place for Tobin to rest on. She gets off the floor, stretching as she walks to the bathroom to take of business. 

Maybe she’ll wake Tobin and they can shower together and then actually get dressed for the day. She glances at her planner sitting on the counter in the kitchen near her purse, feeling the pull of it. She hadn’t checked it this morning. Ah, she decides, turning away from it, determined to just go with the flow today. 

XXXX

Christen is munching on some cashews as she reads her book, lazily sprawled on the couch. Tobin is still sleeping on the floor, her soft snoring keeping her company. Christen opted to take another shower alone, allowing Tobin to rest and is now dressed warmly in leggings and her favorite sweatshirt and thick wool socks. She has no intention of leaving her room today if she can. 

She hears the covers moving, looking over the top of her book to see Tobin shifting on her makeshift bed. She doesn’t stir so Christen goes back to her book. 

“Hey,” Tobin says, a few minutes later, clearing her throat, “how it’s going?” her voice is low and scratchy. 

Christen lowers her book, giving her a soft smile, “Fine,” she says, “how are you?” 

Tobin squints at her, “Kinda hungry, gotta pee,” she says and promptly yawns loudly. Then she shivers, pulling the blanket around her, realizing she has no clothes on. 

Christen sets her book down, standing from the couch and grabbing the robe she had discarded earlier. “Let me give you a hand up,” she offers, reaching her hand out. Tobin grabs it and gets up with wobbly legs, holding Christen’s shoulder for balance. 

“Here,” Christen holds the robe open, “maybe you want to take a quick shower to warm up? I’ll find something comfy for you to wear,” 

“Sounds good,” Tobin agrees, smiling at her, “What time is it?” she asks as Christen slips her arm around her waist as they slowly walk to the bedroom, “Almost noon,” she replies. 

“I’ll be right out,” Tobin nods, entering the bedroom. 

It’s dark out now, Christen is still on the couch, reading her book. She feels that this book was written just for her. The words are speaking volumes to her. The lessons, the examples, the things she’s been doing for years and is now finally committed to break free of ever doing again. A while ago she had gotten up, found a highlighter and began highlighting certain passages that really spoke to her. 

Tobin is in the bedroom, on the phone with her Mom, she’s been in there for a while, possibly speaking with others and catching up with them. Dinner is fast approaching and Christen isn’t sure what they’ll do. As wonderful as the food is here, she’d like something different. She doesn’t know what, but she doesn’t want to eat here. She groans out loud, wanting to eat but not wanting to change her clothes and go out somewhere. Plus, she doesn’t even know if Tobin would be up to feeling like going out. She’s still very tired, even after the massage and the three rounds of sex they’ve had today, she doesn’t even want to put her on the spot and ask if she wants to go out. She has a feeling that she would say yes, even if she’s overtired. 

A few minutes later, Tobin opens the bedroom door, pushing up her glasses as she hugs herself and slowly walks over to the sofa Christen is on. She sits down close to her, actually almost on top of her, legs and side and arms touching, leaning her head on Christen’s shoulder. 

Christen shifts so she can put her arm around her. “Everything okay?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin sighs, then shakes her head, “well, it’s not but it’s better.” She snuggles in to Christen’s chest, “I need to make an appointment with my therapist,” she says quietly, “I really need to work on my relationship with my sister,” she sniffs, bringing the heel of her hand to wipe at her nose, “it’s killing me,” 

Christen brings her other arm around Tobin and tugs her closer, holding her, “Knowing that you need to do it is a pretty great step,” she observes quietly. 

“Yeah,” Tobin mumbles, “it’s time to stop running,” she sniffs again, “I need to stop running and face her.” 

Christen doesn’t know what to say, she doesn’t know any details or anything really about Tobin’s family life, so she just holds her close, rubbing her back. They sit there for a while and just when she thinks that Tobin may have drifted off to sleep, she speaks. 

“I’m starving.” She says and yawns. 

“So, am I,” Christen agrees, “but I’m getting tired of eating here, is there someplace that delivers?” 

“Huh,” Tobin quirks her mouth as she considers the options, “I’ve got another idea,” she says, lifting her head, still allowing herself to be held. “I mean, you don’t have to,” she says, “but you said you missed cooking,” 

Christen’s eyes light up, “Yes!” she says excitedly, “Your cabin?” 

“Uh huh,” Tobin nods, “you don’t mind?” 

“No!” Christen shakes her head, “I love it,” she says, “want to go now?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin smiles at her. 

XXXX

“Come on,” Tobin calls from the couch, where Christen has banished her, “will you please let me help you?” 

“No,” Christen says firmly, standing on her toes, her back to Tobin, looking in a cabinet, “I got this, I’m just scoping out what you have,”

“This is a little embarrassing,” Tobin says, “I feel like you’re judging,” she laughs, leaning over the couch to look at her. Christen is still looking in the top cabinets and giving Tobin a great view of her ass. 

“No judging,” Christen laughs, pulling out a box of spaghetti noodles, examining the expiration date, “okay, a little judging.” She holds up the box, “This expired four months ago.” 

Tobin giggles, “I really don’t even eat spaghetti.” 

“How can you not?” Christen puts her hand on her hip. 

“It’s so messy, I drop the noodles and end up getting sauce everywhere.” Tobin laughs, “I’m a mess,” she says, “you’ve seen me eat.” 

Christen smiles, nodding, “Yeah,” she shakes her head, “I need one more thing,” she says, more to herself than Tobin. She opens the next cabinet, rooting through it. 

“You know,” Tobin says, “you can stand on a chair, I do it all the time,” 

“That’s how household accidents happen, Tobin,” Christen replies primly with added sarcasm without turning around and continuing to peruse the contents of the cabinet, “I’m not taking a chance.” 

Tobin just silently watches her, seeing her excitedly reach for a package, look at it closely and then turn to the side by the stove. The microwave beeps and she takes out whatever she was defrosting and sets it in the sink. Now opening drawers and looking for something. She glances up to see Tobin still looking at her with a tired smile on her face. 

“Watch TV or something,” Christen says, her lip curling in a grin, “you’re being creepy just staring like that,” 

“Fine,” Tobin sighs but chuckles, knowing she just got busted, “just yell if you need something,” she says as she turns back on the couch, slowly reaching for the remote. 

“I will,” Christen replies, beginning to hum to herself, grabbing her glass of wine and taking a drink. She surveys her choices, nodding approvingly. She begins to prepare the meal. She’s slicing the just nearly usable tomato when she hears Tobin. 

“Aw, yes!” she cheers excitedly. Christen eyes the TV seeing the opening credits to a movie. Then the music starts. She grins. It’s the Sound of Music. Tobin turns it up. 

It doesn’t take Christen long to assemble her dish, sliding it in to the small oven and setting the timer. She plops herself next to Tobin on the couch. She enjoys seeing how happy Tobin is, quietly singing along with the songs on the TV. 

“What are we having?” Tobin asks, rubbing her hand on the top of Christen’s thigh. 

“An enchilada bake,” she replies, “I hope you like it,” 

“Oh, I will! I love enchiladas!” Tobin responds excitedly, “I had stuff to make them?” She has a vague recollection of Cinco de Mayo last year but shook it from her thoughts. Something else was bothering her. 

“Yep,” Christen grins at her, linking their fingers together. She finds herself singing along with Tobin, enjoying a movie she hasn’t seen in years. She eyes her watch and thirty minutes later, she’s back in the kitchen making the rice. 

“Chris?” Tobin asks, her voice uncertain, scared. 

Christen sets the spoon she’s using down and switches the rice cooker to warming before looking at her. “Yeah?” Tobin is leaning back over the couch, on her knees, her hands gripping the cushions tightly. 

Christen can see how serious she is, how uncomfortable. “Yes?” she asks, moving from the kitchen and standing before her, the couch their only barrier. 

“What are we?” Tobin asks, looking up at Christen with such vulnerability it scares her. 

“I,” Christen stops, “I don’t know,” she answers truthfully, “but I really like it,” 

“I do, too,” Tobin agrees, “but you leave in a couple of days…” she gives her this sad smile, then she frowns with her lower lip sticking out and shrugs. 

“I know,” Christen nods her head slowly, “I’ve been thinking about it,” she says. “a lot.” 

“Me too,” Tobin sighs, looking down for a moment and then back at her, “I really like you,” she says quietly, “and I know I was the one that said to take things easy and go with the flow,” she scratches at her neck and clears her throat, “but these feelings I’m having for you, it’s like,” she shakes her head, unable to express herself. 

“Like exhilarating and terrifying at the same time?” Christen questions and sees Tobin nod. “I know,” she smiles at her, “I’m feeling the same way,” 

“You are?” Tobin asks, her voice filled with wonder. 

“Yes, silly!” she laughs, “You’re pretty amazing and I think we really have a good time together, and I don’t just say that because you give me the best orgasms I’ve ever had,” she smirks at her, “I genuinely like you, I like doing whatever,” she gestures to the TV, “like watching the Sound of Music and cooking in this cool little cabin on a mountain.” 

Tobin crosses her arms on the back of the couch, slouching to rest in her chin on her hands, “But LA…” she says quietly.

Mustering her courage, Christen squats down, placing her hands on top of Tobin’s, looking in her eyes, “Would you consider doing long distance until we figure it out?” she asks nervously, her eyes trying to read Tobin’s reaction. 

“Absolutely.” Tobin smiles at her without hesitation, “I may not have dated anyone in a while,” she says, her eyes sparkling, “but I still can recognize awesomeness when it bumps into me by the elevators.” 

Christen laughs, relief flooding her, “You’ve got a good eye,” she nods at her, “I could say the same thing.” She leans forward and gives her a lingering kiss. “So, we’ll try?” she questions, “I come here, you come to me?” 

“Only if I can surf sometime,” Tobin grins at her. 

“Naturally,” Christen grins back at her. “No kissing any cute snow bunnies?” 

Tobin smiles as she shakes her head, “No kissing any hot LA chicks?” 

The oven buzzes, the dinner is ready. Christen happily pops to her feet, “Never,” she says leaning down to give Tobin one more kiss. “I’ll bring the plates out here, would you get yourself a drink?” 

Tobin nods, “Would you like more wine?” She gets off the couch and follows her to the kitchen. 

“Sure,” she says, flashing another grin, “I’m not driving, so…” 

Tobin laughs as she takes her glass, refilling it and opening the fridge to retrieve a water bottle for herself. 

Dinner is casual, on the couch with their feet up, a blanket covering them, watching the movie. They talk every once in while about when they first saw the film, what they thought of it as kids, how they feel now about it. Tobin gets seconds, claiming these are some of the best chicken enchiladas she’s ever had and she says it with such sincerity and enthusiasm it makes Christen blush and smile and she just feels like her heart will burst. 

They do the dishes together, singing along with the movie, laughing and having a good time. Christen teases her about yodeling and they giggle as they yodel loudly as they finish up their task. Back on the couch, they snuggle in, Tobin lying flat across the back of the couch, her head propped up with a pillow, Christen in front of her, spooning. It doesn’t take long for Christen to feel Tobin’s breathing against her back slowing down, she’s not humming along to the songs anymore. Christen stays awake, invested in watching until it’s over. 

It’s eleven forty-five and Christen finds the remote and flicks through the channels. She realizes the channel she’s landed on is showing a New Year’s Eve party. She completely forgot and she believes Tobin has as well. 

“Tobin!” she says hurriedly, shaking her arm, “Wake up! It’s almost New Year’s!” 

“Huh?” Tobin asks, blinking rapidly at her, “What’s going on?” 

“It’s almost New Year’s!” Christen exclaims again. 

“Oh, woah, wow,” Tobin says, moving to sit, her arm around Christen. She only sits for a minute and then gets off the couch, “I’ll be right back,” she says, moving to the bathroom. She uses the toilet and then disappears into her bedroom. Christen can hear some sort of a ruckus in there, things hitting the floor and then Tobin exclaiming triumphantly. 

She comes back to the living room wearing a cardboard party hat, a pair of silly glasses with the year on them, although hers are three years old, and a noise maker stuck in her grinning mouth. She’s shoving a similar hat at Christen, draping a gaudy New Year’s necklace over her and handing her one of those spinning metal noise makers. 

Seriously?” Christen laughs as she adjusts the hat, watching Tobin leave for the kitchen. She comes back holding two plastic Disney Princess cups, offering her one. 

“What is this?” Christen eyes the liquid in it. 

Tobin offers her a grin and a shrug, “Apple juice,” she chuckles, “I don’t have any more alcohol in the house. _Someone,_ ” she raises an eyebrow, “drank the rest of the wine.” 

They stand as the countdown begins, counting aloud down from ten, smiling at each other. The yell Happy New Year and Christen swings her noisemaker sending off a tinny ratchet sound as Tobin blows her horn. They toast each other and then kiss. 

It’s an emotional kiss, one filled with passion, with feeling, with the hope of the future. 

When they break free, they steadily gaze at one another. Christen lifts her glass once more, “To us,” she says quietly. 

Tobin’s smile couldn’t get any wider, raising her glass and bumping it against hers, “To us,” she repeats, both taking a small sip. The sound of both of their phones going off with notifications fills the room. 

“Uh,” Tobin says, “I should probably look at those,” 

“Yeah,” Christen agrees, “me too,” she kisses Tobin once more, “I have a feeling this is going to be an incredible year.” 

Tobin smiles at her, “Me too,” 

They grab their phones and sit on the couch, answering the texts of New Year’s wishes. 

They silently answer their messages, until Tobin gently elbows Christen. 

“Look,” she says, displaying her screen and playing the video. It’s from Ashlyn, in a crowded loud bar and everyone is dancing and yelling Happy New Year. Tobin points out HAO, Crystal and Emily, Christen nodding as she recognizes most of the them. A couple minutes later, Christen does the same, showing her a video Alyssa sent of her in Hawaii, on a torch lit beach. Then Kelley sends one of her flashing her bra and exclaiming the new year will be the breast one ever. After sharing one of Nima, Christen explains who they are and how important they are to her. 

“That’s super cool you went to grade school and high school with Nima and now work together.” Tobin smiles at her, “It’s pretty great we both have a lot of really long term friendships, huh?”  


“It is,” Christen smiles happily and then goes back to her phone to reply. 

A few minutes later she feels Tobin shift on the couch and make a noise. She looks over and sees how she’s looking at her screen with concern. She’s chewing on her lower lip, her right leg bouncing softly. 

She nudges her, “Everything okay?” she asks quietly, looking at her with equal concern. 

Tobin quirks her mouth and sighs, “My sister wants me to come over for lunch tomorrow,” she replies, her voice a little shaky. 

“You should go,” Christen nods, “it’s important.” 

Tobin nods silently, back to chewing her lip, contemplating. Then she looks at her, her eyes filled with fear, “I’m scared,” 

Christen turns to face her, laying her hand on Tobin’s leg, “It’s important,” she says, “she’s your sister. I don’t know what happened between the two of you,” she holds up her hand to Tobin, “and I don’t need to know unless you want to talk about it, but you said it was time to stop running,” 

Tobin nods, “Yeah,” she says, swallowing the lump in her throat, “I," she looks down and then glances over to the wall full of paintings, collecting her thoughts, “I have a very hard time talking about it,” she admits, “but I do want you to know, I just,” she looks at her, feeling defeated, “soon, I’ll tell you soon, okay? After I talk with my therapist,” she looks at her, a hopeful look in her eyes. 

Christen nods, “When you’re ready,” she says quietly, “I can be patient.” 

“Thanks,” Tobin says, snuggling against her side, “I gotta do this,” 

“I’ll be around when you get back,” Christen smiles at her, “I’d offer to go with, but this is between you guys,” 

“Yeah,” she says, “and thanks,” she gives her a soft smile, “I appreciate the offer and I know you’re right.” 

“Okay,” she says, “just text me when you get back,” 

“I will.” Tobin nods and texts her sister to agree on meeting. 

“Now,” Christen’s smile turns from soft to wicked, her green eyes dangerously flashing, “what do you say we go in your bedroom and start the new year off with a bang?” 

Tobin bursts into laughter, “A bang?” she laughs, standing up, “You want to bang me?” 

Christen stands in front of her, “Oh, yeah,” she says, drawing her sweater over her head, “I want to bang you so bad,” she begins to giggle as Tobin takes her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! No cliffhanger! LOL
> 
> Well, things are going to ramp up from her on out, Tobin meets her sister and the truth behind their estrangement is revealed. There's a falling out, a scary event- basically, the rollercoaster is now slowly climbing up the tracks and the ride is about to begin. 
> 
> Thanks for all of the kudos and comments- what do you think has kept Tobin from her family? How do you think Morgan and Mikey died? Curious for your thoughts, those closest to it will get a shout out. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.


	13. Truths Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin visits her sister for lunch. After she returns to the resort, she learns of Christen's true intentions of being there.

Wednesday, January 1st 

Tobin shuts off the engine, hearing the familiar ticking as it cools. She takes a deep breath, “Okay Tobin,” she breathes out, her breath making little puffs of warm fog, “you can do this.” She opens her door, clicking her key fob to lock her vehicle and walking up the long driveway. She had parked at the curb, not wanting to possibly get boxed in and not be able to leave if she had to. She slows when she recognizes another car in the driveway. Her other sister Katie is here. 

Her shoulders slump but she moves forward, determined to face this and finally get everything out in the open. She walks up the five stairs, stomping her feet on the porch to clear them of snow and rings the doorbell. She looks down to kick off any remaining snow, mindful of how there was once a time she would just knock and walk in the house without ringing a bell. 

She looks up as the door opens swiftly, Katie smiling wildly at her. “Tobin!” she exclaims, pulling her in and hugging her tightly, “I’m so happy to see you!” 

“It’s good to see you,” Tobin gets out, feeling as if her ribs are being crushed. 

“Well, come in, come in,” she instructs, impatiently pulling at Tobin’s long wool coat, Tobin quickly unbuttoning it as Katie pulls on her sleeves, then bending down to unzip her black leather dress boots. 

She had paid special attention to her choice of clothes this morning, spending an awfully long time in front of her closet. Christen didn’t judge from her spot in the bed, although she did make some helpful suggestions that she should feel comfortable in whatever she choose to wear and eventually Tobin agreed that her first choice of a sweater and skinny jeans was the best outfit. She loved how sweet and patient Christen was while she nervously prepared herself. She was masterful at distracting her, asking her where she bought her boots, what she thought the weather would like, where was her favorite place in Portland to eat breakfast. 

Tobin held her tightly for a long time before she left, telling her how grateful she was for her being here with her. Christen only smiled and gave her a soft kiss, reminding her to text her when she was ready to meet up. 

Tobin is making sure to place her boots are on the rug near the door when she hears someone softly clear their throat. 

“Hey,” Perry greets, “thanks for coming,” she says.

Tobin looks up quickly, standing up and nervously smoothing out her sweater. “Hi,” she says, “thanks for asking.” 

Perry is leaning against the foyer wall, studying her. Tobin nervously shifts her weight, glancing at the floor. 

“Your eye is looking much better,” she comments, “how are you feeling?” 

Tobin gives her a little shrug, “Pretty decent, still tired,” she says, clearing her throat, “about eighty percent,” 

“Jesus, Tobin!” Katie exclaims, “How did you do that?” she points to her face. 

“I slipped on an icy rock,” she explains, “kinda bounced off it.” 

“Ouch!” Katie exclaims, shivering at the thought. 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “it was a rough night.” She notices that she’s twisting her hands together nervously and drops them to her sides. She glances up and sees Perry turning away, looking upset. 

Maybe this wasn’t the best idea to come here, Tobin thinks to herself. “Um,” she mumbles, trying to think of something to say. She feels so lost in the presence of her sisters. 

“Lunch is almost ready,” Perry says suddenly, as if she senses Tobin’s discomfort, “let’s go in the kitchen,” 

“Sure,” Tobin murmurs, following them down the hall, “um, can I help with anything?” she asks, hoping to be distracted by a task. 

“Ah,” Perry says, “you could get yourself something to drink and bring out the salad dressings,” she suggests. 

“Okay,” Tobin nods and moves to the fridge as she inhales deeply and lets out a shaky breath that doesn’t go unnoticed by her sisters. She grabs the different bottles and sets them on the table, coming back to look around for something to drink. She notices a full glass of water at Perry’s spot on the table, “Um, Katie, would you like something to drink?” she asks from behind the fridge door. 

“A water would be fine, thanks,” she replies. 

Her voice sounds normal, Tobin thinks to herself, not like she hates me. Perry sounds guarded, like she’s afraid to talk to me, she sighs. Why did I agree to this, she shakes her head. I know what they said, I know how they feel. Why would they want me here? Mom and Dad. I bet one of them put them up to this. Made them promise to ‘heal the rift’ something. Probably a New Year’s resolution. 

The sound of her name and a hand on her shoulder jars her. She jumps, startled and turns to see a concerned Katie looking at her. 

“You alright?” she asks cautiously. 

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Tobin nods, shoving a water bottle at her and closing the fridge door. 

“Ah, you gonna get something for yourself?” she asks slowly, looking her over critically, as if analyzing or evaluating her. 

Tobin gives her a tight lipped smile, nods and opens the door, grabbing a water bottle. 

“Have a seat,” Katie says, pulling a chair out. Tobin’s chair. The one she always sat at when she ate here. She slowly sits down and sets her water bottle on the table. She runs her fingers on the smooth wood, remembering the good times had here. 

Katie and Perry exchange concerned looks, slowly bringing plates and the salad bowl over the table. 

“I know you’ll like this salad,” Perry says, passing the bowl to Tobin. She looks up again, feeling so spacy, so disjointed in being here, she shakes her head to clear the cobwebs and takes the bowl. 

“Thanks,” she says and puts some of the greens on her plate. She passes it Katie. 

“How were your holidays?” Katie asks as she prepares her salad. 

“Uh, they were good,” Tobin responds, “how about you guys?” 

“We went to Sam’s Mom’s house for Christmas Eve and to Mom and Dad’s for Christmas Day,” Perry replies, “it was good,” she says, “different, but good.” Sam was her husband. He’s a cool guy and she loves him, but Tobin just can’t face him. Not after what happened. Not after seeing him so broken. 

“Oh,” Tobin says, not feeling very hungry anymore. She still selects a bottle of dressing and drizzles some over her salad. 

“We did the same,” Katie offers, “went to Jake’s parent’s house and oh, the kids had a pageant at school, they were so funny!” She rattles on, filling them in on the new toys the kids had received and how over tired they were at their parents’ house and usual trouble they had gotten themselves into. 

Perry and Katie start talking about the extended family, how one of their cousin’s toddler is cute and uncharacteristically judging how obnoxious the cousin’s Christmas card and letter were this year. Tobin wasn’t even sure if she received one from her. 

The two are talking as if nothing is wrong, that her being here is perfectly fine. Tobin is so confused, she doesn’t know if that means they’re just waiting for after lunch to rip her a new one or what. She’s beginning to breath harder, she can feel the panic rising. Her eyes dart between the two of them, looking so, so, _normal_. 

They turn sharply to look at her when they hear the fork drop from Tobin’s shaky hand and clatter on the table. 

“Are you alright?” Katie leans forward, half rising from her chair. 

Tobin stands quickly, “I, I should go,” she says, “I shouldn’t be here,” she turns and moves quickly for the door. 

“Tobin!” Perry yells, pushing her chair out and racing after. “No!” she yells, grabbing Tobin near the door where she’s bent over trying to get a boot on. She bear hugs her, lifting her feet off the floor with Tobin struggling weakly against her as she drags her to the living room. “No more running!” Perry shouts, “It’s got to stop!” 

“I, I, I, I can’t,” Tobin stutters, losing the energy to fight her. Perry tosses her roughly on the couch, closely following and holding her tight. 

Katie comes in from the other side, sitting nearly on Tobin’s lap, arms around her. “Why?” she asks. “You just shut us out?” Katie pleads, “Why? You’re my sister, I love you,” 

They all have tears in their eyes, “Tobin,” Perry says, “I told you, I don’t blame you, it isn’t your fault.” 

“You don’t?” Tobin lifts her head, “What?” She looks at her, her tear filled eyes are wide, unbelieving what she just said. 

“Tobin,” Perry says slowly, “don’t you remember seeing me at the hospital?” 

“Sorta?” Tobin replies, “I don’t know, everything was foggy.” 

Perry brings her against chest Tobin’s back, hugging her even tighter, “Sweetie,” she says, “we talked,” she repeats, “I know you did everything you could to save him. I have for a long time.” 

Tobin shuts her eyes, grimacing, “But I heard you,” she says, “both of you,” she sniffs, “I know how you feel about me, I know what you think of me.” 

“What are you talking about?” Katie says, looking bewildered, “When?” 

It’s time, this is it, Tobin thinks. She slouches against Perry, all of the fight leaving her. 

“The day Mikey was buried, we were all here,” she says sadly, opening her eyes, looking at both of them, “that’s when it happened.” 

_Two Years Earlier_

_December 27th_

_Today the family had stoically stood, surrounded by extended family and friends, in a snow covered cemetery around an open grave where a painfully small casket had been lowered in the ground with the sound of cries and sobs competing against the mechanical noise of the winches lowering it six feet down._

_After the brutal burial service, they congregated here, at Perry and Sam’s house, to eat and mourn and receive well meaning guests who offered hollow platitudes of sympathy and reassurance._

_It was later in the day, the crowd was thinning out and Tobin was keeping herself busy straightening up and picking up after everyone, collecting empty glasses and plates. She had to be busy, doing anything to keep her mind off the events that had just transpired. She hasn’t really spoken much with anyone, finding an excuse to leave each conversation, unable to look at their sympathetic faces and hear their words of comfort. She doesn’t deserve them. She was walking towards the kitchen, just around the corner when she hears the low voices of Perry and Katie._

_“The nerve she has to come here today,” Katie says, uncharacteristic venom in her voice. She’s speaking low but the anger can clearly be heard._

_“I will never forgive her,” Perry says firmly, “not after this.”_

_Tobin carefully sets the plates in her hands on the small lamp table in the hallway, leaning against the wall. Her worst fears are coming true, Perry hates her. She’s responsible for Mikey’s death, she doesn’t believe Tobin did everything she could to save him._

_Already feeling emotionally fragile from the accident and the loss of her girlfriend and nephew, Tobin’s nerves were frayed. She was devastated, she was angry and incredibly disappointed in herself and that she had failed everyone. She was a rescue and first responder, for fucks sake, trained to rescue people and she couldn’t save two of the most important people in her life. Morgan was someone she thought she would marry one day, maybe sooner than later, and Mikey wasn’t just her nephew, he was her Godson._

_She felt the burden of responsibility for their lives deeply and the sense of failure just as equally. With how Morgan’s parents had treated her, how that typically warm and loving couple turned their grief and anger towards her, how their hateful words had left their mark. Because they doubted her, they didn’t believe she tried her hardest to save Morgan, the seed that her own family doubted her as well had been deeply planted. Tobin was still shell shocked from the events of the past week, and now hearing her sisters right now was allowing that seed of doubt to sprout and grow._

_“I can’t believe she told you that,” Katie spits out, “like it would make a difference.”_

_“I thought I would punch her!” Perry states, her anger coming through, “I wanted to beat her face in. I don’t know how I restrained myself.”_

_“Like what she told you would make any difference.” Katie snorts, “I hate her. I really do. And you know, Mom and Dad will just support her and coddle her like they’ve always done.”_

_“Yeah,” Perry agrees, “I just can’t even look at her anymore,” she says, “I wish she would just disappear.”_

_“Yeah,” Katie agrees, “this is one mistake in her screwed up life she can’t make better.”_

_She’s heard enough, they hate her. They don’t want her here. Perry doesn’t believe her. Nether does Katie. Her own sisters have turned against her, just like Morgan’s parents. Tobin quietly lifts herself from the wall, walking with unsteady legs to the stairs, her panic and sorrow rising. The guilt overwhelming her. She runs up the stairs to Perry’s bedroom where her coat and purse is on the bed, flinging the jackets until she finds them. She rushes out of the room, back down the stairs, praying nobody will stop her._

_Her Mom meets her at the hallway, Tobin breathing heavy, coat and purse in hand._

_“Sweetie, are you okay?” she asks, looking alarmed._

_“I gotta go,” Tobin shoulders her past her, ripping the door open, forgetting her heels, needing to get out of there, running out in the snow, not feeling the cold on her nylon covered feet, tossing her purse and coat in her Jeep. She starts it up, slamming her hands on the steering wheel, seeing cars are parked behind her, looking up to see her Mother looking so worried on the porch. She wildly looks around, puts the Jeep in gear, nudging herself forward, angling it back around the vehicle blocking her in and driving backwards off the driveway into the snow covered side yard, bouncing onto the street and leaving the block._

_She has to pull over a mile away because she can’t see, the tears blurring her vision. She finds a crowded parking lot, sliding into a space, burying her face in her hands and sobs._

“Oh my God,” Perry whispers, “Tobin,” 

“So, I know, okay?” Tobin says forcefully, “I know what you both think of me.” 

“Tobin, no,” Katie says softly, kneeling and angling herself sideways to face her on the couch, she places her hand on the top of Tobin’s leg. “You didn’t hear what you thought you heard,” she closes her eyes, shaking her head, “we were talking about our cousin Susie.”

Tobin sighs defeatedly, “You don’t have to lie about it,” she says quietly, “I know what I heard.” 

“No, Tobin,” Perry argues, “she’s right,” she says, sliding from the couch to the coffee table to sit directly in front of her, holding both of Tobin’s hands. “Yes, you heard us,” she says, “but we were talking about Susie. She came in and announced she was pregnant, making observations about how when someone dies a new life arrives.” 

“She was despicable,” Katie says scornfully, “basically telling Perry that Mikey was replaced in the family.” 

“Huh?” Tobin looks at both of them, “What?” 

“Yeah,” Katie nods her head aggressively, “jobless, nearly homeless, yet parading around happy as can be, maybe not even knowing who the father was, saying fucking shit like that to the mother who lost her son.” 

“This is…” Tobin swallows, she can’t find any words. She shakes her hands free from Perry, bringing them to her face, holding herself. 

“Tobin, you heard overheard us reacting to how inconsiderate Susie was being, announcing a pregnancy in the home of someone who just lost their only child.” Katie informs her, speaking softly, slowly, letting her words sink in. 

“I, ah, really?” Tobin can’t form a complete sentence, this is crazy, she thinks, I was wrong? 

“Tobin,” Perry says urgently, “you must believe that Sam and I know you did everything you could that day, I will believe it until the day I go to the grave. It’s not your fault, honey, it’s not, it never has been, you have to stop blaming yourself.” 

Seeing Perry’s face, the sorrow in it and the pleading in her voice makes Tobin crumble. “It’s so hard,” She sobs through her hands, leaning forward, her elbows on her knees, “I dream about it almost every night.” 

“Tobin, look at me,” Perry says, taking a hold of Tobin’s wrists and lowering her hands from her face to see her tear streaked, pale face, “you gave Sam and I a gift. You gave us a chance to say goodbye to Mikey those days he was on life support. For as awful as what happened, that was the best thing ever, you gave us time to prepare and grieve and then let him go.” 

“I’m so sorry!” Tobin wails, “I tried so hard, for both of them, it was awful, I just couldn’t save them both, I tried, I did, I swear!” She curls into herself, feeling Katie pull her into her arms, Perry’s hands on her back and leg, all of them crying. 

When she stops sobbing and regains some composure, she sits upright, accepting the tissues from Perry, wiping her face and blowing her nose. She looks at them, “Morgan’s parents wouldn’t let me come to the her wake and funeral,” she says quietly, her voice nasally and low, speaking the words she’s only told Lauren and Alex and her therapist, “they gave me a week to put her possessions in a storage unit and told me they wanted her money she put in the house.” 

“What?” Katie loudly exclaims, shocked. 

Tobin nods, “Lauren, Alex, HAO and Ash helped me move everything out, Ash gave Morgan’s parents the key to the unit. Then we moved my stuff into a unit at a different place and I put the house up for sale.” She sniffs and wipes at her eyes, “Lauren let me move into a cabin at the resort,” she says “and I’ve been there ever since.” 

“Oh, Tobin,” Perry’s voice cracked, “I had no idea,” she says, shaking her head, “I knew you moved out and sold the house, but I had no idea about Morgan’s parents, I’m so sorry, why didn’t you tell us?” 

Tobin nods, “Yeah, well, I wasn’t going to say anything,” she sniffs, “you were either at the hospital or planning the funeral.” 

“I felt so alone,” Tobin says miserably, biting her lower lip, “I felt like I let everyone down,” she looks down at her hands, “hearing you guys talk, it made me believe that you thought the same way Morgan’s parents did,” 

Perry and Katie both brings their arms around Tobin, holding her, whispering reassurances of love. They stay like for a long time, speaking softly, Perry stroking Tobin’s hair and both sisters holding her close. It’s healing, it’s reassuring, it’s what Tobin needed for a very long time. 

“I’m so sorry for disappearing,” Tobin whispers, “I just couldn’t face you guys,” 

“I understand now,” Perry nods, “before, I just thought you were going through your own thing,” she says, “I had no idea Morgan’s parents were like that, or that you mistook me and Katie talking.” 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t around for you guys,” Tobin says, “I just couldn’t.” 

“Now we know why,” Katie says, squeezing her tight, “and now we get a chance to start again,” 

Tobin quietly gives them an abbreviated update about her therapist, how she spent a year on medications, how she began to rebuild her life, how this, meeting with them and clearing the air, was the final missing piece. How her and her therapist had been working for Tobin to get to a place where she would entertain the thought of meeting up with them. 

“So, who is this Christen I met at the hospital?” Perry asks, her eyebrows raised and a smile on her face. 

“Oh, that’s right,” Tobin nods, “she said she met you and Mom,” 

“She seemed pretty flustered when we asked her if she was a friend of yours,” Perry’s smile grows wider.

Tobin can’t help the smile that spreads on her face, “She’s really cool,” she says, “we met accidentally,” she says, telling them about the elevator incident, then meeting the next morning, how she is from LA and is consulting for Lauren with the resort, the unexpected dinner together on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

“You took her snowshoeing on Christmas? At night?” Katie smiles at her. 

“Yeah,” Tobin shrugs, “she’s, like, super orderly, like she lives by her day planner, and I thought it would pull her out of her comfort zone a little, you know? Something unexpected but cool to do,”

“It sounds like one of those Hallmark Christmas movies!” Katie excitedly claps her hands together. 

“And?” Perry asks, “Are you guys dating or is this a fling or what?” 

“Well,” Tobin says, feeling the familiar comfort of her sisters again and reveling in it, “we’re going to do long distance while we figure it out,” 

“Really?” Perry asks, her smile still on her face, “That sounds serious,” 

Tobin shrugs, picking at her fingernail, “We just click,” she says quietly, not looking at either of them, “we’re both kind of in the same weird places in our lives, different reasons, but still,” she shrugs again, “it’s easy with her, but hard, too. She challenges me, but is super encouraging and supportive,” then she looks up to see their gentle expressions, “like, this morning, she told me she would offer to come with because she knew I was super nervous, but she wasn’t going to because I had to do this on my own.” 

“She sounds pretty special,” Perry states, “she was really sweet at the hospital, nervous as Hell, but she told me and Mom what she knew had happened,” she says, “it was very apparent that she was incredibly worried about you.” 

“Well,” Katie looks at Tobin with a hopeful expression, “are we going to get to meet her before she leaves?” 

“I don’t know,” Tobin replies truthfully, “but I’ll ask her.” She looks at them, “We might come into the city, I’m not exactly sure when she’s leaving town,” 

“Well, let us know,” Perry says, “I’d like to meet her,” she says, “we didn’t really have a conversation and then she kind of disappeared.” 

“I’ll let you know,” Tobin says, thinking she should ask Christen more details on her visit with them. 

“I’m going to check on lunch,” Katie says and gets up from the couch and heads to the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone. 

“Per,” she Tobin says quietly, “I feel like I owe you an apology,” she sighs, “for just, um, for ignoring you guys,” 

“Tobin,” Perry says tenderly, squeezing her in her arms once more, “I’m glad you’re here with me right now,” she says, “we’ll have that talk later, because I want to know how you really are, what you’re struggling with, and I want to tell you my struggles,” she sniffs a little, “I’ve missed you so much, but we can start slow and not tackle all of that deep stuff today, okay?” 

“Okay,” Tobin says, leaning her head on her shoulder, “I love you, Per,” she says, “so much,” 

“I love you, too,” she replies, kissing the side of Tobin’s head, “now what do you say we eat something, huh?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin agrees, reaching for more tissue, feeling spent from crying so much, “I’ll be there in a minute,” she takes a deep breath as she wipes her eyes once more. She can’t believe all that has transpired this afternoon. 

Perry stands and gives her shoulder a light squeeze, walking off to the kitchen. 

XXXX

After leaving Tobin’s cabin in the late morning, Christen heads back to her room, feeling pretty good. She was anxious for Tobin, having never seen her so nervous and unsure of herself. She still has no clue of exactly what happened during the deaths of Morgan and her nephew Mikey and how it estranged her from her family, but she’s feeling she’ll find out more soon. 

Something just says to her that Tobin will open up to her more after seeing her sisters today. 

She feels confident it will go well, still unsure but just has this feeling that it will all work out. She smiles when she thinks about last night, how they enjoyed their impromptu dinner. Tobin sincerely liked her enchiladas, that was wonderful. How she got them New Years stuff to welcome in the changing of the year. An apple juice toast in kids cups, she smiles at the thought. 

How they made love. Love, she thinks, it wasn’t just sex last night. Not to her. Not how Tobin touched her so tenderly, whispering to her how beautiful and amazing she is, worshipping her body and bringing her to such ecstasy. She has feelings for Tobin she didn’t have for Vero. There’s so much about her, she wants to learn everything about her. She thinks Tobin just might want that with her. They’re so different, yet they just click. They both have serious baggage they’re struggling with but are willing to get to a better place. They’re compatible. 

She picks up the in room phone and calls the spa, checking to see when the next yoga session. It’s in forty minutes and she signs up for it, figuring she has time to dress appropriately and get down there. 

After her yoga class, Christen rolls her mat up and has it under her arm, stopping by the gift shop and picking up one of the ready made salads and some almonds to bring back to her room and eat. She eats her lunch on the couch, watching some mindless HGTV show, shaking her head at the ridiculous clients who have suspicious occupations and outlandish budgets for vacation homes. She snorts as they judge the homes, the couple disliking one because of the paint color, another because the floorplan of a mansion isn’t as large as they’d like.

It makes her wonder if Tobin would like her own place back in LA. Christen really hasn’t decorated, never really making the time except to furnish it with the essentials. It’s rather impersonal, just a place to sleep and shower. She cringes when she thinks of the bare walls and how Tobin has her little cabin filled with works of art. Next time she’s in the cabin, she wants to really look at them, study them. Some of them were disturbing to her, she’s not exactly sure what it was about them, just that they were dark and set of her off in some way. She wonders what drew Tobin to those dark ones, why would she put them on her wall. 

She takes a leisurely shower, deciding to let her hair air dry while she gets her laptop and notebook and continues her job market evaluation of Portland. After two hours of checking things out and getting herself off track by researching things to do in the city, she decides to check in with her Mom. 

She sends her a text, asking if she had time to chat and her phone rings only moments later. 

“Hi, Mom,” Christen smiles at her Mom’s face, “how are you?” It looks as if her Mother is sitting in the shade on a patio. 

“Sweetie!” her Mom says, “How are you? What did you do for New Years last night?” 

“I’m good, Mom, last night I went to Tobin’s cabin and made your famous chicken enchiladas for dinner, we just stayed in.” she replies, “Tobin isn’t feeling a hundred percent yet, so we just took it easy,” 

“Oh, the poor thing,” Stacy clucks, “you two have really hit it off, huh?” she smiles broadly at her. 

“Yeah, Mom,” Christen admits, “she’s really sweet and we just seem to click, you know?” 

“Click enough for you to continue it when you leave?” her Mom presses her. 

Christen can’t control the large smile on her face that’s spreading more to show teeth, “We are,” she says, “we haven’t worked out details or dates yet, but we spoke about it last night and we’re going to give it a shot.” 

“Oh, honey!” her Mom exclaims, “I’m so happy for you, that’s wonderful!” 

“What about you Mom?” Christen asks, “You seem different,” 

“Oh, honey,” her Mom says, “this vacation has been so wonderful, it’s really made me think about how busy we’ve gotten ourselves that we’ve forgotten what’s important in life, you know?” she says excitedly, “I’ve been reading this book, Finding Yourself, and it’s so enlightening,” 

Christen bursts into laughter. 

“What?” Her Mom frowns at her, thinking she’s making fun of her. 

Christen simply smiles at her, reaching over and then holding her copy of the book so she can see it. “Pretty cool, huh?” she giggles. 

Her Mom smiles at her, “You have excellent taste in books, dear,” 

“It’s pretty amazing,” Christen gushes, “what I’m learning about myself is overwhelming.” 

“It is,” she agrees, “I’m excited to start making changes, beginning with having more family time.” 

“That would be awesome,” Christen nods, “Dad told you about our conversation, right?” 

“He did,” she smiles at her, “have you come to any decisions about yourself?” 

Christen leans back on the couch, “Well, there’s a lot of moving parts involved,” she begins. 

“You’re looking for a job in Portland, aren’t you?” her Mom guesses.

“I, uh, I,” Christen sputters, “how did you know?” she asks, tilting her head at her, wondering how in the world she would know she was even looking. 

“Mother’s intuition,” she smirks at her. 

“It’s too early,” Christen says quickly, “I mean, who knows if the two of us would even work out, right?” she rushes her words, “I was just doing some due diligence, getting the lay of the land,  
seeing how the market is, you know?” 

Her Mom just laughs at her, “Oh, honey,” she giggles, “I just want you to do whatever it is that makes you happy,” she says, “if moving to Portland does it, so be it. I’ve always loved the Pacific Northwest, you can be sure visiting wouldn’t be a problem.” 

“Mom,” Christen says, suddenly nervous, “am I crazy for doing this? For feeling this? We only met a week ago,” 

“Sweetheart,” her Mom assures her, “you’re old enough, experienced enough and smart enough to know what you’re getting into. You’ll be fine,” she says, “besides, this is the fun part, getting to really know someone,” 

Christen sighs, “I feel like everything in my life is upside down right now,” 

“Good,” her Mom nods at her, “a shake up is what you’ve needed,” she says, “you’ve been in a funk for a long time. Me too.” 

Christen nods, acknowledging her, “You’re right,” she sighs, running a hand through her hair. 

“I love that you’re keeping your hair naturally curly,” her Mom says softly, “you’re beautiful,” 

“Thanks, Mom,” she blushes. Vero was never really thrilled about Christen’s curls, preferring her to straighten it. 

“You’ll be fine,” she assures her, “no matter how things go with Tobin or where you end up. You’ll bloom, you are already, I can see it now.” 

Christen smiles, “She’s really great, Mom,” she says, “I can’t wait for you to meet her.” 

“I look forward to it,” she nods at her, “I love you, baby girl, go and have fun, and let yourself go,” 

“I love you, Mom,” Christen says, “thank you,” she clears her throat, “and thank Dad for sending me here, it’s changed my life.” 

“Like he needs a bigger head hearing that!” she laughs, then she looks off camera and nods, “I’ve got to run, hon, I’ll talk to you in a few days, alright?” 

“Sure,” Christen smiles, “you go have fun, too, yeah?” 

Her Mom’s eyes sparkle, “Oh, I’m going too!” 

They end the call and Christen decides not to think too much of what her parents are up to.

She yawns, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch and sliding down to lay across it, snuggling in for a nap. She keeps her phone close so she doesn’t miss a text or call. 

She plans to check in with Lauren before she meets Tobin, wanting to make sure she’s been in touch with the Press legal team and everything is in place for when the news goes public. 

XXXX

Tobin smiles as she drives back to the resort, a container of Perry’s lasagna on the seat beside her. She feels lighter, that stabbing weight in her chest is slowly leaving her. She knows she still has a lot to do in dealing with Morgan’s and Mikey’s deaths, but now having her sisters support makes her truly have hope she can get to a healthy place. 

She suddenly slaps her forehead, realizing she was supposed to text Chris on her way back. She finds a parking lot and pulls over, taking out her phone and sending off a quick message to her. She sets her phone in the cup holder and pulls back out into traffic. She should be back at the resort in about a half an hour. 

Tobin yawns as she parks her Jeep in the resort lot, feeling a wave of tiredness overcome her. She sighs deeply, feeling spent from the range of emotions she’s experienced from the day. 

She’s hoping to convince Christen into taking a nap, but since she hasn’t heard from her, she might just take one until she hears from her. She’s parked in the employee section, walking in the brisk air, the snow crunching under her boots. She stops by her cabin to drop off the leftovers in her fridge. Then she decides to stop by and see if Lauren has a minute. She wants to tell her about seeing her sisters and how it went. 

She enters the lobby and Emily waves her over. 

“I hear you’re giving Kelley lessons on the half pipe,” she grins at her.

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “she surfs, so she’ll get the hang of it pretty easy I think,” 

“Just don’t teach her my tricks,” Emily playfully warns, “I want to beat her ass at the half pipe as well,” 

Tobin chuckles, “Em,” she says, “I don’t think I can do some the aerial stuff you pull off, don’t worry,” 

“Good,” Emily nods, pleased with herself, “can’t let some slick chick from LA think she can beat me on my own territory.” 

“You’ll have to let me know when your showdown happens,” Tobin says, “I want to see it,” she nods, “I bet Chris will too,” 

“I’ll let you know,” Emily smirks, “maybe I’ll get her to agree that loser buys drink for everyone there,” 

Tobin lets out a chuckle, “That’d be something,” she looks around behind the desk, “Is Lauren around?” 

“Her and Alex and Christen are in the lunchroom, I think,” she wiggles her eyebrows at her, “tell your sweetie I said hi,” 

Tobin shakes her head at her and walks around the desk to head to the employee lunchroom. The lunchroom is a weird little room, having been an office area before they changed things after Lauren took over the resort. When you enter, there’s a six foot long wall that creates a hallway, so you’re in the room but not seen. The wall contains messages from Lauren about upcoming meetings, staff schedules, a list of employee birthdays and anniversaries.

Tobin has just entered the hall section when she hears Lauren’s voice. 

“Alex, Christen came here to buy the resort, she works for a large company that acquires other companies in financial trouble,” she’s explaining. 

“Wait, what?” Alex asks, clearly confused. 

“I came here to evaluate the operation with the intention of purchasing it,” Christen says quietly, “but” She stops when she sees Alex’s look of dread on her face, her eyes looking behind Christen’s head. Both Christen and Lauren turn to see Tobin standing there, her mouth slightly open, looking horrified. 

“You’re going to sell the resort?” Tobin asks quietly, directing her gaze at Lauren, “Why didn’t you say something?” They can all hear the hurt in her voice. 

Lauren is struggling to explain when Tobin looks at Christen, “You lied to me,” she says, her face growing hard, “every time we spoke about your job, you lied.” 

“Tobin, I” Christen starts, half out of her chair, looking at her frantically. 

“What else did you lie about?” Tobin says, looking at all of them, her eyes panicked, licking her lips as she backs up. She’s feeling overwhelmed, from her lunch to coming into this, hearing this, learning that Christen lied, Lauren kept something like this from her. It was too much. 

“Tobin,” Lauren stands, extending a hand. 

“I, I gotta go,” Tobin mumbles, turning and running from the room. She hears Lauren yell out to her, but she keeps going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around. Appreciate the kudos and comments.


	14. Hurt Feelings and an Icy Plunge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen and Tobin go their own ways to think about what has occurred. Both are feeling horrible for how Tobin found out, their emotions on high. 
> 
> Another accidental meet up occurs and this one could have grave consequences.

Wednesday, January 1st 

Tobin runs past a bewildered Emily at her desk, out the door, into the cold air, off the path and zig zagging through the buildings. She eventually stops running, breathing hard, bending over and putting her hands on her knees, her head down. 

Why do I run, she questions herself, why do I get so panicked and overwhelmed. Because I can’t see anyone now, I can’t even think. Everything is just swirling in my head, it’s so confusing. 

The tiredness she felt only moments ago is gone. She’s filled with an anxious adrenalin, needing to find an outlet. She thinks for a moment and then heads to the back entrance of the main building, using her employee ID to enter and going directly to the locker room. 

She quickly trades her outfit for her workout clothes, deciding to hit the gym and work this off and think. She knows nobody would think to look for her there. She scoots out the locker room and beelines it for it the fitness center, grateful it doesn’t have large windows. 

She’s correct, she’s all alone, going directly to the Olympic bench, plating the bar and settling in for some bench presses. 

XXXX

“I should find her,” Christen says as she stands, “this is all my fault,” 

Alex looks at her, “Why didn’t you say anything?” her voice is once again cold. 

“Alex,” Lauren says, “I asked her not to,” she says, holding a hand to her head, letting out a sigh, “I didn’t want everyone to freak out,” 

“Well, they’re going to now,” Alex snorts, “you’re selling the resort!” 

“I’m not!” Lauren bites back, “Remember how Christen found out weird stuff going on with the books, the cops are raiding Jill’s house and business tomorrow for embezzlement. Christen’s company isn’t going to buy the resort, they’re going to help us get our money back!” 

“Holy shit!” Alex exclaims, “You are?” 

Lauren nods and Christen nods, standing there fidgeting wanting to find Tobin. 

“Kelley and Julie assembled everything and Christen helped review what we’d need,” Lauren explains to her, “plus what you supplied, they figured it out,” she says, “they’ve already met with a detective and everything is in motion.” 

“I’m going to find Tobin,” Christen interrupts, “I need to talk to her,” 

“You’re better off letting her cool down,” Alex suggests, her voice much softer this time, “she usually needs some time to process things when she’s upset, been that way since I’ve known her,” 

“Yeah?” Christen asks, trying to determine if she’s telling her the truth and at the same time, glad she’s being civil to her. Mean Alex is scary. 

Alex nods, “Yeah,” she says, “your best bet is to let her come to you.” 

“You really think so?” Christen asks, uncertain of her instincts.

“Yeah,” Lauren says, “Alex is right,” she says, giving Christen a sad smile and reinforcing to her that Alex was being truthful, “I’m sorry this blew up like it did, it’s all my fault, you were only doing what I asked you to,” 

“It’s both of our faults,” Christen insists, “I should have told her after we-” she stops herself. 

“After you slept together?” Alex arches an eyebrow at her. 

Christen quirks her mouth and nods, blushing a little and diverting her eyes. 

“I’m sure she’ll text you when she’s ready to talk,” Lauren assures her. 

Christen nods, “I’ll see you guys later,” she says, “I’m really sorry this happened.” 

“Christen, I’m sorry too,” Lauren says, “but it’s on me and I’ll make sure Tobin knows it.” 

Christen just nods and leaves the room. She’s not sure what to do with herself, so she wanders aimlessly through the ski shop, looking at the clothes and when she spies a pair of snowshoes, she freezes and her eyes begin to water. She leaves the shop quickly, walking to the bar.

Crystal’s warm smile falters when she sees her at the corner of the bar, coming over to her. “Hi Christen,” she greets, “I love your hair! How’s it going?” 

“Thanks,” Christen sighs, “can I have a bourbon on the rocks please?” 

Crystal’s eyebrow rise slightly but she nods and silently turns around to face the barback and select a bottle of Jack Daniels. 

“Here you go,” she says, setting it in front of her and taking a few steps away, sensing Christen wants to be alone. 

Christen takes a sip and winces a little, the burn going down her throat as she looks out the window. I can’t believe I screwed this up so badly. Tobin looked so hurt, when she looked at Lauren and even more when she looked at me. I don’t even know how her visit went with her sister. She was so nervous about it, I wish I knew more details of what happened between them. 

After her second drink, Christen reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone, she dials Kelley. 

“Pressy!” Kelley greets, “Use your Christmas gift yet?” she asks happily. 

“No, Kel,” Christen replies with a sigh.

Kelley hears the tone and can feel the sadness in her voice. “She found out,” she states slowly, just knowing for some reason that’s what is wrong. 

“Yeah,” Christen admits, “and she ran away from me,” she sniffles, “she couldn’t even look at me.” 

“Why don’t you tell me how it all went down, hum?” Kelley suggests, so she can get a handle on it. 

Christen explains how it happened, how Tobin looked at her with such hurt.

“Well, what are you doing right now?” Kelley asks. 

“Sitting in the bar drinking whiskey.” Christen replies. 

“Well, stop that,” Kelley advises, “you don’t want to be drunk when you talk to her,” 

“Ugh,” Christen groans, “I don’t know what else to do with myself,” she says sadly, “Kel, I like her so much and now she hates me,” 

“She doesn’t hate you,” Kelley says firmly, “anyone that looks at you like Tobin does doesn’t hate you,” she assures her, “she probably just needs some time to chill out, think about how it’s not really that big of a deal,” 

“Kelley,” Christen shakes her head, “her best friend didn’t tell her she was considering selling the resort, I didn’t tell her that I was here to possibly buy it,” she says quickly, “she’s pissed.” 

“Just go talk to her,” Kelley urges, “show her that she’s important to you, that this wasn’t some holiday hook up,” 

“Kel, I” Christen starts but looks down. Her phone is dead. She sighs, she doesn’t have her charger with, it’s on the nightstand in her bedroom. 

“Fuck,” she sighs and takes another sip of her whiskey.

She sits, staring out the window, nursing her drink as the sun goes low and darkness descends. 

XXXX

Tobin is flat on her back, looking at the ceiling, focusing on a tiny nick in the ceiling tile above her as she lifts. She doesn’t know how many sets she’s done, the weight is beginning to get heavy on her arms. She can only hear her own voice, repeating over and over “you lied to me” to Christen. She saw how crestfallen Christen looked. She didn’t stick around to hear her explanation. 

Why do I do that, she asks herself, here I just came from facing Perry and Katie and actually dealing with it and I come back, hear this and I run. I’m such an asshole, she berates herself. A normal person would have stayed and talked it out. A normal person would have listened to their explanations. A normal person wouldn’t run like this. 

She feels like shit, Christen doesn’t deserve me if this is how I am, she thinks sadly. She wouldn’t want me like this. She’s such an amazing person, I think I could have had something really special with her. 

She keeps lifting, now feeling that burn with each repetition. 

Maybe I can still have something with her, she thinks. Maybe I need to get out of here and go find her. Maybe she had a really good reason why she didn’t tell me the truth. Maybe she’ll give me another chance. 

She’s so in her thoughts, she doesn’t hear the door open and a person enter the fitness room. 

A weigh hits her midsection, looking to see Lauren is straddling her. 

“Cheney, get off!” she growls, the bar resting on her chest. 

Lauren, intuitivly knowing exactly where to find Tobin, puts her hands on the bar, keeping it in place, “You need to listen to me,” she says angrily, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the resort was in trouble,” she says, “I was embarrassed that I fucked up the family business in only four years of owning it, okay?” 

“Cheney,” Tobin groans, the weight pressing against her chest, “come on,” 

Lauren shakes her head at her, “Listen!” she says angrily, her eyes blazing at her, “You really hurt Christen,” she continues, “she was only doing what I asked. I didn’t want everyone to know that the resort was in trouble, so I asked her to say she was a consultant.” 

“Okay,” Tobin says, her arms shaking as she struggles to keep the bar up enough to breathe, “Cheney!” 

“You can’t keep running like this,” Cheney says heatedly, “Christen has no idea that’s how you are, she’s so upset right now, she feels terrible.” 

“Okay, okay!” Tobin gasps, “I’ll talk to her, I promise!” 

Cheney lifts the bar slightly. “Tobin,” she says softly, “I’m sorry, I really am,” she lifts the bar up, standing to help Tobin rack it. Then she sits back on Tobin’s hips. She wasn’t going to let her get away just yet. “Christen found out something was wrong with the books, she brought in Kelley and Julie to figure out that Jill was embezzling from us. We met with a detective and everything.” 

“What?” Tobin asks, her eyes wide. 

Lauren nods, “She’s even offered her firm’s lawyers for free to sort through all of the court stuff that’s going to come up and help make sure we get our money back.” 

Tobin deflates, closing her eyes. 

“Tobs, she’s a good person, she really is.” Lauren says, heartfully. “She only was telling you she was a consultant because I asked her to. I know in my heart she wouldn’t lie to you about anything, honest.” 

Tobin nods, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I fucked this up so bad,” she sighs. 

“You can fix it,” Lauren encourages her, “you just have to talk to her,” 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, “I need to.” 

Lauren nods and slides off her, extending a hand to help her up. As Tobin stands before her, Lauren hugs her, “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she says, “you’re my best friend, but I just couldn’t tell you this,” 

“I understand,” Tobin says quietly, knowing the things she hasn’t told her before, those feelings that are too deep to share, even to your best friend. “I’m sorry for reacting how I did,” she says, “I love you, Chen,” 

“I love you, too,” she replies, “now go clean yourself up.” 

“Thanks, Chen,” Tobin says, “I hope I can make this right with her.” 

“You will,” she encourages as Tobin takes the weights off the bar and wipes down the bench. 

XXXX

Christen decides to take a short walk, paying her tab from Crystal, a little tipsy from her third drink. She puts her long coat on, grabs her purse and planner and walks out of the bar. She wanders around a little, looking up at the holiday lights as they sway with the soft wind. She walks to Tobin’s cabin, knocking on the door, calling her name. She even looks in the window, seeing it’s dark. She’s either not there or is just hiding in her bedroom. 

Dejectedly she walks toward the main lodge, pausing on the bridge, looking at the frozen river below. She smiles, thinking about her and Tobin’s Christmas night snowshoeing adventure. She sets her planner on the ledge of the fence rail, gripping the rail as she gazes out. 

Tobin told her she runs. Actually, she told her she had to stop running. Christen wonders why she does it, does she just get overwhelmed by her emotions and need time to sort it out? The fact that Tobin is aware of it helps a little. She knows she needs to work on it. 

She knows her own reaction is to throw herself into work and ignore things until she has no choice but to face whatever she needs to face. Except now, now her Dad stepped in to make her re-examine her life. 

But she’s doing it, she’s working on it and it’s hard and scary but kind of exhilarating. She can figure out a new plan. She wants Tobin to be a part of it, she wants her in her life. She hopes Tobin doesn’t feel this lie, this avoidance of her true reason for being here, is too big for her to overcome. She prays Tobin wants to talk to her, wants to hear her explanation. 

Maybe her visit with her sister didn’t go that well. Maybe she was upset and then hearing this, it just triggered her. I hope she’s okay. 

She sighs, moving her arms out, leaning against the rail further. She clumsily bumps her planner with her elbow and sends it over the edge, falling into the snow below on the frozen river. In that moment, it begins to snow, just soft light flakes coming down. She didn’t know it was supposed to snow, but she huffs in annoyance. 

“Shit!” she exclaims, leaning over more to look down where it landed. She lets out a huff. 

XXXX

Tobin changes her top, opting to stay in the sweatpants she was wearing, keeping on her gym shoes, figuring she would go back to her cabin, shower and get dressed. She texts Christen, apologizing for leaving so quickly and asking if they could talk. 

She doesn’t get an immediate response, so she puts her phone on her jacket pocket, and heads out. Flurries have just started to fall, Tobin vaguely remembering they were due to get a few inches tonight. Should be good powder on the slopes, she thinks, walking out from under the portico and deciding to take the back route back to her cabin. It’s peaceful, there’s not too many people milling around due to the cold. There’s no wind so it’s not unbearably cold, it’s a perfect time for a little walk. 

She covers her mouth as she yawns, then shoves her hands in her pockets, frowning that she forgot gloves. She takes her phone out to look at it, hoping for a response from Chris, her shoulders slumping when she sees no new texts. She stops walking, looking down at her phone, considering texting her again. 

Tobin doesn’t want to come across as being pushy, but it’s important to her to talk to her, so she thinks about how to compose her next message. She settles on a simple plea, just a can we please talk to send her. 

She keeps walking, approaching the bridge when she notices a woman leaning over the rail looking down at the frozen river. Tobin can make out long black curly hair and long dark coat and the stranger is muttering to herself, but Tobin can’t make out what she’s saying. 

“Drop something?” Tobin asks in a friendly voice. 

The woman turns to face her and gasps in surprise, it’s Christen. 

XXXX

Lauren is in the bar, checking in with Crystal and Ash before the evening rush and glances out the window. 

“Aw!” she exclaims, looking out the window across the outdoor patio. She sees Christen and Tobin on the bridge. 

“What?” Crystal asks, looking over. 

“Christen and Tobin had a disagreement, I hope they’re making up right now,” Lauren explains. 

“Aw!” Crystal exclaims herself, “They’re so cute together! Christen looked pretty upset when she was in here earlier.” 

“Yeah,” Lauren sighs, praying things work out. 

“Wait, Tobin is walking away!” Ash says, now joining them at the window. 

“What is Christen doing?” Crystal asks, as they watch her look over the railing and then walk to the end of the bridge and over the pile of shoveled snow towards the river. 

“Oh shit!” Ash says, “She’s going down to the river!” 

“Look!” Lauren points, “Tobin’s got a ladder.” 

“I’m going to see if she needs help,” Ashlyn comments, walking behind the bar to grab her jacket. 

“Something’s not right,” Lauren murmurs, her gut turning with anxiety. 

They see Tobin break into a run with the ladder, sliding down the slope to the river. 

“Let’s go!” Crystal yells, pulling at Lauren’s shoulder. 

On her way out, Lauren shouts to Emily to get warm blankets and towels and meet them outside. 

XXXX

“Oh, it’s you,” Christen says, letting a breath out, “you startled me,” 

“I didn’t mean to,” Tobin apologizes, “I didn’t recognize you, your hair, it’s so curly,” she gives her a timid smile. 

“Oh,” Christen instinctively reaches a hand towards it, “I let it air dry,” she replies, feeling anxious. 

“It looks really nice,” Tobin offers shyly. 

“Thanks,” Christen replies just as unsure of herself. 

They stand awkwardly for a moment, neither sure how to start a conversation. 

“Listen,” they say at the same time, both smiling bashfully at each other.

“You first,” Tobin offers, nodding at her. 

“I was just going to say,” Christen bites her lower lip, then nods to herself, “I’d really like to talk with you, but I’m starting to get cold, would you mind if we went in somewhere?” 

“Yeah, no problem,” Tobin nods approvingly, “did you drop something?” 

“My planner,” Christen frowns. 

Tobin looks over the rail, nodding to herself as she judges the distance from the river bank, “Let me get a ladder, I’ll be right back,” 

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Christen protests, not wanting Tobin to have to climb down and fetch it. The bourbon has numbed her senses a little, toning down her anxiety that her planner, what she uses every single day, is currently about fifteen feet down in the middle of a river and lodged the snow. She doesn’t realize that’s not at all how Tobin intends to get the book. 

Tobin is already halfway to the shed she gestured to, with Christen looking down at the book and then her retreating figure. Feeling bad and still a little tipsy, Christen decides she can just go and get it herself. Maybe even before Tobin gets back with the ladder and save her the trouble.

“Chris?” Tobin calls out when she only sees Christen’s purse and no sign of Christen on the bridge. 

“Chris!” she yells, breaking into a run with the ladder, her stomaching twisting with fear. 

She’s almost to the sidewalk along the river when she hears the sickening crack of breaking ice and the sound of a scream that gets cut short that’s straight from her nightmares. 

“NO!” Tobin screams, bounding down the slope, “I’m coming! I’m coming!” she calls frantically, slipping and sliding and seeing Christen flail in the water, trying to find a grip on the edge of the broken ice. 

“Christen, keep your head up!” she yells as she slides the ladder out on the river, extending it as far as it will go, allowing her to safely slide out on it. She tosses her coat off, scrambles on the ladder, her hands burning from the cold metal rungs. She’s trying to stave off the panic that’s rising within her, focusing on the task at hand. 

It’s not until she hears Christen’s fearful cry of her name that suddenly Tobin is brought right back to that terrible, fateful day. 

“I’m coming Morgan!” She yells, “Hang on!” she lays her body across the ladder, the ice creaks underneath her. She’s no longer at the resort on the river, she’s at the lake, reliving the horrible accident. 

“Help!” Christen cries. She’s flailing in the icy water, trying to keep hold of the flat ice and get to the ladder. Hearing Tobin call her Morgan makes her heart drop, something like this, an accident on ice must have been what happened. 

“Morgan find the ladder, hold on to it!” She urges, sliding closer to her, she’s nearly within reach. She spies the planner, grabbing it and flinging it behind her onto the river bank. 

Hearing Tobin yell out so urgently, her voice so scared, so panicked, it’s obvious that’s she having some kind of flashback to Morgan and Mikey’s deaths. She’s responsible, she’s making Tobin freak out right now, relive that terrible experience. She struggles to grip the ladder, extending her arm and flopping it towards it, only falling short and she goes under, luckily taking a deep breath before her face hits the water. She feels the current begin to move her, edging her under the ice. 

“Morgan take my hand!” she screams, horrified when she sees her head dip below the waterline. She reaches dangerously over the side of the ladder, shoving her head and shoulders in the icy water, both of her hands grabbing at whatever she can. She feels arms and locks her hands around them, pulling with all of her strength. Slowly, the body comes out of the water, gasping, scrambling around. 

“Get on the ladder, Morgan,” Tobin instructs, leaning to the side, “Where’s Mikey?’ she asks. 

“Huh?” Christen asks dazedly, teeth chattering, panting, seeing Tobin looking at her wildly. “Tobin, I’m okay,” she chatters, “I’m Christen,” she chatters, hoping it will pull her from her panic.   
“Where’s Mikey?” Tobin screams, sliding off the ladder, putting her arms in the water, crying out his name. Christen hears the ice cracking, making that loud snap. 

“Christen!” a voice calls from the river side, “Come this way, stay on the ladder!” It’s Ashlyn, waving to her. She’s kneeling on the ladder, uncertain how far she can safely go out without putting too much weight on it and having the whole thing collapse in the water. 

“Tobin, it’s just me, Christen!” she yells at her, pulling at her waist as Tobin plunges into the open hole in the river again. She’s trying to grab at Tobin, pulling on her thin sweater, but her hands are so cold, she can’t get a grip. She hears Ashlyn is urging her to come to shore. 

She’s never been this bone chilling cold before, shudders ripping through her, shivering uncontrollably. Somehow, she finds the strength to pull Tobin up and out of the water. 

“Mikey!” Tobin screams, her eyes scanning the hole, “Mikey!” 

Christen realizes she has to get Tobin away from the hole, feeling Tobin’s next move would be to jump in the water to search for her nephew. She lunges forward, getting both arms around Tobin’s midsection, pulling her back. 

She twists and they both fall back on the ladder, Tobin trying to break free and Christen hanging on to her for dear life. She uses her legs to push on the rungs and slowly drags them across the ladder while hearing Tobin’s frantic screams for her nephew. 

“Mikey!” Tobin screams again, trying to shake herself from Christen’s grip, wiggling and squirming. A small crowd is lined up on the bridge, looking down at her. 

“Tobin!” Ashlyn calls out from the shore, “Tobin!” 

Tobin twists her neck, looking at her wildly, breathing heavy, shuddering with the cold. “I’ve got to get Mikey!” she insists frantically, her eyes shooting back to the open water.

“Tobin,” Christen says softly, “he’s gone,” she pulls her closer, higher up against her chest, continuing to push themselves backwards on the ladder to the shore, “come on,” she coaxes her gently. 

“No!” Tobin screams at her, “No!”

Tobin looks at Christen with such sorrow and hurt and guilt, she feels her own heart break just a little. “He was only four years old,” She cries, her voice filled with such defeat. 

“I’m so sorry, Tobin,” Christen says, trying to keep her voice calm and soothing, only she’s chattering from the cold, finally able to get a stronger grip on her, “we gotta go now,” 

“Why, Chris?” Tobin questions, sobbing, “Why both of them?” 

“I don’t know,” She replies, now crying as well and using one hand and her leg to hoist them along the ladder, half dragging and half carrying Tobin along. Tobin is weakly trying to move with her, but she’s so tired and cold. 

Christen is close to the shore when she collapses, out of breath and so cold, nearly convulsing from her muscle spasms. She feels hands on her wrists, pulling her sharply along the ladder, banging her knees painfully, making her cry out. 

Her legs are weak as she’s brought to her feet, hands on her, a blanket suddenly being placed around her. Christen feels dizzy and her legs go weak and soon feels the sensation of being carried. 

“Tobin!” she cries out, weakly struggling. 

“She’s gonna be fine,” a voice tells her, it’s Lauren. 

Christen feels her body shaking uncontrollably, then realizes she’s in a small room, being stripped of her jacket and sweater and then her boots and pants. Blankets cover her again, she glances up and sees Allie looking her over, concern on her face. “It’s my fault,” she cries as she gets placed on a table, “it’s my fault,” 

“I’m going to take your temperature,” she informs her, pacing a hand on her head and sticking an ear thermometer in to get a reading. 

“So cold,” Christen chatters, wrapping the blanket to her closer. She feels the blanket is slowly growing warmer. 

Allie looks at the thermometer, “Ninety-six point eight,” she announces, looking Christen over, “you’re going to be fine, we’ll get you warmed up, okay?” 

Lauren takes a coat off the back of the door, “I’ll be back,” she says worriedly, opening the door and leaving. 

Emily appears and holds a mug with a straw in it in front of Christen, “Here, this is tea,” she offers, turning the straw towards her, “I’ll hold it.” 

Christen takes a sip, feeling the warmth on her mouth. She sucks on the straw greedily, feeling the warmth move down her throat and into her belly. Allie crutches over and puts Christen’s hair up in the towel, getting the wetness off her. 

Zach knocks and opens the door, “Here,” he says, shoving clothes at Emily. 

“Thanks,” Allie says, holding a towel and crutching back to Christen, “can you move?” she asks Christen. 

“Y-Y-Yes,” she chatters, nodding at her. 

“Let’s get these clothes on you,” Allie instructs. She follows her directions with her shaky hands, Emily on her knees sliding up the warm sweatpants and then putting wool socks on her feet. 

Emily comes around behind her, pulling the blanket back, helping her get the warm lined sweatshirt on as well. 

“Thanks,” she says quietly, beginning to feel human again. She looks at them alarmed. “Tobin!” 

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Allie soothes, “have some more tea and wrap that heating blanket around you,” 

“I’ll go check,” Emily offers leaving the two alone. 

XXXX

Lauren is standing on the river bank, tears streaming down her face, feeling so awful as she witnesses Tobin’s breakdown. 

“I did everything I could,” Tobin weeps, “I couldn’t save them,” 

“You did best your best, bud,” Ashlyn grunts as she half drags, half carries Tobin up to the sidewalk. 

“I just want to know why,” she sobs weakly, panting and shaking, “he was just a little kid,” 

“I don’t think we’ll ever know, dude,” Ashlyn says, trying her best to keep control of her emotions. How do you try to comfort one of your best friends who tried and failed to save her girlfriend and her Godson. 

They get to sidewalk, stripping Tobin’s sweater from her, wrapping her in a blanket. 

“To Allie in the First Aid Station,” Lauren directs, grabbing Tobin’s legs while Ashlyn carries her from her shoulders. Emily hovers close by collecting the planner on the ground, recognizing it as belonging to Christen and taking Tobin’s sweater and coat. She runs ahead of them, bursting through the First Aid doors. 

“They’re bringing her here,” she informs Allie, who is plugging in another warming blanket. 

“Come on, Chris,” Emily says, “think you can walk?” 

“I want to see Tobin,” she says stubbornly, unmoving on the table. 

“There’s no room for you in here too,” Emily explains gently, “we’ll wait out there, and you can see her as she comes by,” 

“Okay,” Christen gives in, realizing she would be in the way, “thanks Allie,” she says sadly, now with a clearer head, she’s slowly understanding what has just occurred. She sees her planner on the table and grabs it, carrying it out with her purse and tea.

“I’ll be out to check up on you,” Allie says, “stick close by,” 

Emily guides her to her desk, sitting her in the chair, making sure to plug in her blanket and wrapping it tightly around her. She takes a few steps away, preparing another mug of tea for her. 

“Here,” she says warmly, handing her the mug, rubbing her back with one hand, “feeling better?” 

“Yeah,” Christen nods, slowly feeling the pins and needles sensation in her legs. “Thank you, Em,” 

“Ah, no problem,” she says, “Tobin’s a pro, she’ll be fine, I’m sure.” 

Emily looks towards the doors, darting out to hold one open as Lauren and Ashlyn come charging through carrying Tobin. 

Christen cranes her neck as they pass by, hearing Tobin quietly weeping, but she can’t see her. The sound, so morose, so filled with pain, it breaks her heart. 

Emily opens the door to the First Aid Station and closes it behind them, looking at Christen gravely. 

A few minutes later, a couple approach the desk, asking Emily to check in and Christen feels in the way. She stands on slightly unsteady legs, abandoning the blanket and taking her mug of tea and her planner and purse and walks over to the small lounge area near the fireplace in the lobby. She sits as close as she can to the fire, having left the blanket on the chair. She sips her tea, feeling herself warm up and the warmth from the flames. 

She feels terrible. She’s the cause of this. She’s responsible for Tobin being in there, her being stupid and stubborn. All because of her planner. 

Her stupid, fucking planner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well.....


	15. The Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobin and Christen recover from their brush with death. They discuss their feelings and try to overcome Tobin running away and Christen not telling the truth. 
> 
> Later, Christen eggs Tobin into making a bet.

Wednesday, January 1st 

Once on the table, Lauren is yanking Tobin’s gym shoes off and then her socks. Tobin has gone ominously quiet once they entered the room, she’s semi-conscious, occasionally crying out or softly moaning, mumbling Mikey or Morgan’s name. 

Ashlyn is working Tobin’s sweatpants and underwear off, Lauren helping get her naked once the shoes and socks were off. They get her shirt and bra off, Allie getting her temperature. 

“She’s at ninety-four point four.” Allie announces tersely, ripping open the pack for an IV, rubbing an alcohol swab on Tobin’s arm, tying it off with a rubber strap, trying to find a vein. She finds one and skillfully inserts the needle, attaching the line of fluids that are being run through a warming pump. She takes Tobin’s pulse and blood pressure, satisfied she’s doing good. 

Half the blanket is underneath Tobin, Ashlyn brings the other half up to cover her. Lauren towels off her long hair, wrapping it in the towel. 

“Okay, Tobin,” Allie soothes, “you’re going to be just fine, you’ve got just a bit of hypothermia, we’re going to warm you up in no time,” 

Tobin shakes under the blanket, “Mm, Mmm, My, My, Mikey’s dead,” she chatters, her breath coming in jagged shudders. “Morgan’s dead.” 

“I know, Har,” Allie says sympathetically, stroking Tobin’s cheek with her thumb. 

“I, I, ff-f-f-fr-freaked out in fr-front of Chr-Chr-Chris,” she stutters, looking so sad.

“I’m sure she understands,” she assures her. 

Tobin clamps her eyes shut, shaking her head, “No,” she cries, “I f-f-fucked it all up again,” 

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Lauren says quietly, standing over her head, drying her hair with the towel.

“S-S-She th-thinks I’m crazy,” Tobin cries defeatedly, turning her head to the side. 

“I know she doesn’t,” Lauren states firmly. 

“Is she okay?” Tobin asks, sniffing and opening her eyes looking concerned. 

“She’s fine,” Allie smiles reassuringly, “we got her dried off, into warm clothes and gave her some hot tea,” she rubs the blanket covering Tobin’s shoulder, “no hypothermia, her body temp dropped two degrees. She’s fine.” 

“G-g-good,” Tobin nods, sniffing again, “she was so nice,” she says sadly. 

“Tobin, everything will be fine,” Lauren assures her, “just concentrate on warming up,” 

“Tired,” Tobin mutters, closing her eyes. 

“Ah, I need you awake for a little bit,” Allie cautions, “you can sleep in a bit, I want you to warm up more first and we’ll get you some clothes.” 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, turning over and curling on her side, “stay awake,” she repeats to herself as she shivers under the blanket. 

Lauren gives Allie a look and both nod with silent understanding and Lauren leaves the room. 

“Is she gonna be alright?” Ashlyn quietly asks, looking at Allie with concern. 

Allie gives her a head nod, “She’s gonna be fine,” 

“No ambulance?” 

“Nah,” Allie shakes her head, picking up the thermometer and taking another reading, “She’s already at ninety-five point nine,” she says, looking up at the IV bag, “I”ll run this bag through her and she’ll be right as rain.” 

Ashlyn looks relieved, nodding her head, “I gotta get back,” she says, looking down at herself, “and cleaned up. I’ll make sure the ladder is taken care of.” 

Tobin moves her eyes onto Ashlyn, “Thanks, dude,” she says, her voice trembling. 

Ashlyn lays her hand on Tobin’s shoulder, “I got your back, bro,” she says, giving her a little squeeze, “I’ll see you later,” 

XXXX

Lauren finds Christen sitting near the fireplace, holding her empty mug with both hands, looking off in the distance, a mournful expression on her face. 

“Hey,” she says as she approaches, giving her a small smile, “you feeling better?” 

Christen nods, “Yes, thank you,” she says gratefully, then she casts her eyes downward, “I’m so sorry this happened!” she exclaims suddenly, bursting into tears, “It’s all my fault!” 

“Tobin’s going to be fine,” Lauren states, wanting to reassure the woman she’s looking at. She sits down next to her, slinging her arm around her, “I’m sure you didn’t know the ice was so thin,” she reassures her, “you don’t come across it much in LA,” she tries to lighten her mood. 

Christen nods and sniffles, but still feels horrible. “I feel like an idiot and now Tobin….” She trails off. 

“You obviously witnessed her having an, ah, um, an episode,” Lauren settles on the word, then sighs. 

“Morgan and Tobin’s nephew, Mikey, died from falling through the ice on a lake near here,” Lauren states. “Tobin got them both out of the water, but neither of them survived. Morgan was   
pronounced shortly after arriving to the hospital, Mikey was on life support for three days before he passed away.” 

Christen is biting her lip as tears streak down her face. 

“They were going snowshoeing and while Tobin was getting the gear together at the car, Mikey ran out on the ice and Morgan chased him, which made him go out further,” Lauren continues, “Tobin heard Morgan yelling and looked up to see both of them fall through into the water. The eyewitnesses watched as Tobin went out to get them, using a big branch she snapped off a tree, while they found some rope and made a human chain to get about halfway there.”

“Morgan handed Mikey off to her and Tobin went back to hand him to the people on the ice, then she went back for Morgan,” she continues, tears forming in her eyes, “Morgan was unconscious by then and Tobin had to drag her back.” 

“She tried her best to resuscitate them, with only one other person knowing CPR.” She clears her throat, “Morgan’s parents blamed Tobin for her death, telling her they wanted all of Morgan’s possessions and the money she put in to buy the house they lived in, berating her for Morgan’s death while she was lying in a hospital bed with hypothermia.” 

“No,” Christen breathes, unable to imagine the pain of Tobin being treated that way. 

“We helped her pack up the house, Morgan’s items being put in a storage unit and Tobin’s in a different one, before they even had the wake and funeral for either of them. I offered her the cabin and she’s been here since. She put the house up for sale and took the first offer.” 

“Oh,” Christen squeaks, coming to understand fully the impact of how the deaths affected Tobin. 

“For some reason,” Lauren says quietly, “Tobin’s been convinced her sisters and her parents all blame her as well, and she hasn’t really had much contact with them, even though it’s not true at all,” 

Christen nods, now realizing how important Tobin’s seeing her sister was today, what a huge step it was for Tobin to go and why she was so nervous. 

“She saw her sister today,” Christen says quietly, setting down her empty mug on the coffee table in front of her and hugging herself, “she went to her house for lunch. She was so nervous about it,” 

“Do you know how it went?” Lauren asks curiously, looking at her intently. 

Christen shakes her head, “She came back to us in the office, and then…” she trails off, looking down at her lap. “I really hope it went well,” 

“So do I,” Lauren agrees, “come on,” she says, standing up and picking up Christen’s empty mug, “you want to see her?” 

“I don’t know,” Christen answers, her eyes wide, “She’s upset with me,” 

“She was asking about you,” Lauren replies, placing a hand on her shoulder, “she’ll feel better seeing you and knowing you’re okay,” 

“You think?” Christen questions, feeling very unsure of herself. 

“I know,” Lauren says confidently, giving her a quick head nod to the side, “come on,” 

Christen stands and follows her, feeling much more stable with her balance and movement, not quite a hundred percent yet, but quite close. She still feels a spike of coldness through her body. 

Lauren opens the door and mumbles something to Allie who nods and greets Christen with a quick smile and mouthing a hello. Christen enters the room and Lauren shuts the door behind herself as her and Allie give them some privacy. 

She sees Tobin lying on her side, slightly shivering, facing away from her but there’s an empty chair right there too, so she silently moves around the bench Tobin’s on. “Tobin?” she calls out softly as she rounds the corner of the bench, coming into her view. 

“Chris?” Tobin lifts her head off the pillow, her hair still wrapped in a towel. 

“Hi,” Christen says quietly, sitting in the chair facing her. 

“Are you okay?” Tobin eyes her, scanning her face and body, looking for signs of trauma. 

“I’m fine,” she says slowly, “I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for you,” she swallows the lump in her throat, it’s hitting her that she really could have died today. If Tobin hadn’t been there, most likely she’d be dead right now. 

“Chris,” Tobin says slowly, tiredly, “I’m so sorry I ran,” she sniffs, “I just kind of freaked, and then, out on ice,” she pauses, “I kinda freaked again,” she whispers sadly. 

Christen scoots closer, placing her hand on the table, “I’m sorry I was untruthful for my reasons being here,” she hangs her head down, “I felt awful every time we spoke about work,” 

“I, uh,” Tobin says, “Lauren told me she asked you to say that so all the employees wouldn’t freak out,” she says quietly, “I really can’t blame you,” she sighs, “or her.” She pauses, "She also told me how you found out something was wrong with the financial stuff and now the Police are involved." 

They both fall silent for a minute. 

“I’m sorry,” Tobin says, peeking her fingers out from under the blanket, “it’s not an excuse for my behavior, but I was still kind of freaked out from seeing Perry and Katie. So, when Lauren said what she did, I just felt like, I don’t know, overwhelmed?” she looks at her searchingly, trying to see Christen’s reaction, hoping to see some understanding. 

“Tobin,” Christen sighs, “I need to tell you this,” she says, sitting straight in her chair, but reaching for Tobin’s hand and intertwining their fingers. She winces at how cold Tobin’s fingers still are and sees how Tobin is rigid with anxiety from her statement. She smiles at her, wanting her to know it’s not anything negative, “the only thing I’ve ever misrepresented to you was my reason for being here,” she says, looking at her intently. “Everything else between us has been me being one hundred percent truthful with my feelings and emotions.” 

Tobin looks at her with tears in her eyes, then she looks drops her gaze, “I’m so sorry I freaked out on you,” she says quietly, “I would understand if it’s too much for you to handle,” 

Christen just looks at her, frowning with her lower lip sticking out. She rubs Tobin’s hand with her fingers, “What happened out there was an extreme event,” she says quietly, seriously, “but I do know enough about you to know that you’re aware of the work you’ll need to do to get through that. You’ll see your therapist and talk or paint or do whatever you need to do so that you can feel better about what happened.” She leans forward in her chair, “And I’ll stand next to you while you do that and offer whatever you need from me to support you and help you through that process.” 

Tobin looks at her, her eyes bloodshot and tired, “Chris,” she says, but Christen isn’t finished. 

“I’ve come to depend on you more than I ever expected to for someone I’ve just met.” She says, “This connection we have,” she waves her free hand around, “let’s just say, that in the upcoming months while I’m trying to figure out what I want to do with my career, I’ll be depending just as much on you for your opinion,” she nods at her, “and your support.” 

“I’ll put in the work,” Tobin promises, “I won’t let you down,” 

Christen shakes her head, smiling at her, “We’ll both do things that will disappoint each other,” she says, “Tobin, we’re not perfect, and I don’t want perfect. If you try to be like that, you’ll drive yourself crazy.” 

“I’m serious,” Tobin insists, looking at her intently. 

“I know you are,” Christen replies, “and I’m just saying, I know you’ll do it, I know you’ll give it serious effort. That’s the best we can do in this life. I’ll take it.” 

“I really like you,” Tobin smiles at her, “and I’m so incredibly lucky you’re in my life.” 

“I really like you,” she says, bringing their hands up, placing a gentle kiss on Tobin’s knuckles. “If you were to ask me right now, what my favorite daydream is,” she smiles at her, “it would be you and I on a beach, holding each other as we watch a beautiful sunset.” 

Tobin looks at her, a slow, sleepy smile appearing on her face, “Would that beach be in LA?” she questions, looking hopeful. She’s still shaking slightly from the cold but no longer   
shuddering. 

“Yes,” Christen nods, pleased with Tobin’s smile, “it would be.” 

“Would that be after a day of surfing?” Tobin questions, her smile growing larger. 

“Yes,” Christen agrees, “more you surfing than me, though,” she gives her a little grin. 

Her smile falters, “You don’t surf at all?” 

Christen shakes her head, “I don’t have the balance for it,” she explains apologetically, “but I love taking photos of surfers,” 

“Yeah?” Tobin’s grin appears again. 

“Yeah,” Christen grins back at her.

Tobin looks at her steadily, her grin slowly fading, “Chris?” she asks quietly, “Are we okay?”

Christen nods at her, “I think we are,” she replies, “do you?” 

Tobin lowers her eye, not looking at her for a moment, “I’m hoping so,” she says quietly, looking back up at her, “I promise, I will really work on how I react,” she looks at her with those warm honey eyes, “I hope you’re not too upset with me,” 

“Babe,” Christen says, edging her chair closer and leaning forward to kiss Tobin’s forehead, “we’re good, I promise.” 

They both smile at each other, Christen rubbing her thumb gently over the top of Tobin’s hand in hers. The relief they both feel is now allowing the rush of adrenalin to leave their bodies, making them both tired. 

Tobin frowns. 

“What’s wrong?” Christen asks, worried of some new hurdle they would have to discuss or maybe Tobin’s visit with her sister didn’t go well. 

Tobin gives her a wry smile, “Tonight’s your last night here,” she says slowly, “I wanted to take you to the city for dinner,” 

Christen gives her a cheesy smile, “I may have forgot to update you with my plans,” she smirks at her.

“Huh?” Tobin asks, looking confused. 

“I’m staying here a bit longer,” Christen grins, “you know, officially to make sure Holiday Resort is properly represented through the legal process and make sure their public statements are on appropriate and all that.” 

Tobin looks her at her and sighs with a smile, “And what are your unofficial plans while you’re here?” 

“Well,” Christen chuckles, “I thought I would finish reading my book and maybe,” she shrugs, “I don’t know, spend as much time with you as possible?” 

Tobin’s eyes begin to water as she smiles at her, “I like your plan,” she says, her voice a little uneven with emotion. 

“I like it, too,” Christen says, tearing up herself, “a lot.” 

A knock at the door draws them from their moment, Tobin rolling on her back, still wrapped in the blanket, not letting go of Christen’s hand. 

Allie looks in apologetically, “Sorry to interrupt,” she says, crutching in, “Harry, I’ve got to check your vitals.” 

“It’s cool,” she nods, “thanks,” she says looking at her, “I owe you one,” 

Allie snorts, “Bullshit!” she says as she pulls the stethoscope from her pocket, “I still you owe you from last week,” 

“Nah,” Tobin argues, “come on,” 

“Zip it,” Allie orders, pulling the blanket back and slides her hand under Tobin’s sweater, pressing the metal piece to her chest, “breathe normal, dork.” 

She takes blood pressure and her temperature as well, claiming she’s fit to leave. She disconnects the IV, making a show of it as she places a Wonder Woman Bandaid on the back of Tobin’s hand from the needle. 

“Uh,” Tobin looks down at herself, “I don’t think I have shoes,” 

“Let’s just go to my room, okay?” Christen suggests, “Allie, do you know what happened to our jackets and clothes?” 

“Emily put them in for laundering,” Allie explains, “they’ll be at your room tomorrow morning.” She writes down Tobin’s readings in her chart and closes the file. “Your boots and shoes are on the drying rack, Emily will have someone drop them off when they’re dry. Harry, your coat is over here,” she points with her thumb over her shoulder.” 

Allie stands up, leaning on her crutches, looking at both of them, Tobin now sitting with her legs hanging off the side of the table, giving Christen a stern look, “I’m not going to yell at you, Christen, for going out on the ice,” she says, “because I know you’ve learned your lesson.” Christen nods her head, too embarrassed to say anything. 

Allie looks at Tobin, “I will yell at you if you don’t take it easy until you see the Doctor on Tuesday. You’re still on medical rest, got it?” 

Tobin grins at her, nodding her head, “Got it.” She salutes her. 

“Jackass,” Allie mutters, “get out of here,” 

“Sweet!” Tobin cheers, removing the towel from her head, sliding off the table, and giving Allie a hug. “Thanks,” she says heartfully, “really.” 

Allie eyes her, nodding, “Yeah,” she says, seeing a look in Tobin’s eyes she hasn’t seen for a long time. Peace. 

Tobin and Christen hug Emily, thanking her for her help and offering dinner when Kelley comes in to town. They find Zach, Chrystal and Ashlyn and gives their thanks and the same offer.   
They find Lauren and all three start to tear up and they hug in a little group, apologizing for the misunderstandings until they all agree everything is fine between them all. 

XXXX

Tobin leans heavily against the back wall of the elevator, Christen glancing over and seeing how exhausted she looks. 

“Tobin?” she questions, stepping closer to her, “You alright?” 

Tobin looks at her, nodding and rubbing her arms, “Just still really cold,” 

“Hon,” Christen hums, sliding next to her, bringing har arm around her waist, “you look exhausted,” 

Tobin gives her a sleepy smile, “I am pretty tired,” she admits, “can’t slip anything past you,” 

Christen barks out a laugh, “Ah,” she sighs, “you’re so right,” she shakes her head and the doors open to her floor. She tightens her grip on Tobin’s waist, pulling her off the wall and out of the elevator. “What do you say we just chill out, under a ton of blankets and warm up?” 

Tobin is quiet, “I’d really like to talk to you about everything that happened today,” she says quietly, “but I am beat,” she grins wryly at her.

“We can talk later, babe,” Christen assures her as she opens her purse and digs around for her room key, “I promise,” she nods at her as the door opens, “I want to talk, too,” 

“Okay,” Tobin sighs, “take me bed!” she whines dramatically, stepping heavily into the room as Christen giggles. 

Christen leads her to the room, playfully tickling her side as they walk. Tobin leaves her side and pulls down the comforter, “We’ll just nap a bit, right?” she confirms, unsure if she should take out her contacts and brush her teeth. 

“Uh,” Christen hedges, she’s got a gut feeling Tobin will sleep through the night, “babe, if you’re gonna sleep maybe you should just get ready for bed,” 

Tobin thinks for a minute, evaluating if she thinks she’ll nap or really just pass out. She’s leaning towards the passing out. “Yeah,” she agrees, abandoning the bed and sauntering to the bathroom. Christen continues to prepare the bed and then joins her to brush her teeth. 

“Ah!” Tobin exclaims quietly, a wide smile on her face as she pulls up the comforter to her chin, “This is so warm,” she says, her voice laden with sleep. She rolls over towards Christen, who lays her arm out and wraps her hand around her shoulder, pulling her close. 

“Chris?” Tobin asks sleepily, nudging up against her, her hand snaking across her stomach. 

“Yeah, hon?” Christen replies.  
“Thank you so much for encouraging me to go see my sister,” Tobin breathes out heavily, “it ended up my other sister Katie was there too and it was pretty awesome. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to go if you hadn’t been so great about it.” 

Christen shifts her hand from Tobin’s shoulders to run her fingers through her damp hair, “I knew it was important to you and I just wanted you to know I’d support you. I don’t know the details of everything, but it seemed really serious and I just wanted you to do what you felt was right and still feel comfortable and safe,” 

“Thank you,” Tobin murmurs sleepily into her neck, placing a gentle kiss on her skin. Christen waits for Tobin’s reply but all she hears is a deep sigh and then a hot breath on her neck, sending a tickle down her spine. She turns her head and kisses Tobin’s forehead, letting her lips linger for a moment, wondering what transpired at her sister’s house. 

Now that she’s aware of the events leading up to Morgan and Mikey’s deaths, she’s incredibly grateful that Tobin’s visit went well. She can’t imagine how she would feel if she had been placed in Tobin’s situation. How terrifying that must have been, how horrifying an experience. She wouldn’t be able to face Channing or Tyler if something like that had happened. If she had been responsible. What a devastating position to be in. 

She tries to change the subject in her mind, not wanting her last thoughts to be so dark and tragically sad. She diverts her attention to thinking about what they might do tomorrow. If Tobin is feeling better and not too tired, maybe they could take a trip in to Portland and check it out. She wouldn’t mind driving, Tobin could nap if she wanted to. 

She shifts to get comfortable, thinking maybe they could start their day with another massage. She really likes feeling Tobin’s body, those muscles, her soft skin, she wants to have her again. She wants to make her cry out. 

Her eyes are shut and they open abruptly when she thinks about Kelley’s birthday gift to her. Would she ever use something like that, she wonders. Would Tobin be remotely curious to try it? They’ve never had a discussion of their wilder sexual experiences, what they like or if they’ve ever used toys before, would the item sitting in that box on the floor of her closet be something either of them would be interested in playing with? 

Feeling a bit horny thinking about the possibilities and looking forward to having that conversation with Tobin, Christen slowly turns to her side to face her, bringing her other arm around her and hooking her leg over her. She runs her hand along Tobin’s back, tilting her chin to place another kiss on Tobin’s forehead. She sighs softly and clears her head, letting herself drift off to sleep. 

XXXX

Thursday, January 2nd 

Christen hears a loud noise and a soft curse, bringing her from her slumber. She lies there trying to figure out what the sound was as she rolls over. She doesn’t feel Tobin next to her, reaching her hand across the mattress. She opens her eyes, squinting at the light coming into the room. She winces, realizing she didn’t close the drapes last night and now the bright sunlight is blinding her. She rolls over the opposite direction, groaning as she snuggles in. 

Wait, she thinks, where is Tobin? She cracks an eye open and sees the bathroom door in her room is open, she’s not in there, she doesn’t think. She yawns as she contemplates what is going on, not looking forward to leaving the warm cocoon she’s currently in. 

She decides to just rest her eyes for a couple of minutes, she’s too tired to get out of bed just yet. She doesn’t know how much time passes when she feels a dip in the mattress next to her. She feels fingers softly brush her hair from her face and opens her eyes to see Tobin looking down at her with a soft smile on her face. She’s sitting on the side of the bed. 

“Good morning,” Tobin greets, “do you think you’d like to get up and eat?” 

Christen gives her a sleepy smile, “You made breakfast?” she asks, her voice a little gravelly.

“Yeah,” Tobin nods, “we didn’t eat dinner last night,” she reminds her, “and I thought my growling stomach would wake you up,” 

Christen grins, “Is that what I heard?” she brings her hand out from under the covers to rub Tobin’s thigh, “I thought there was an avalanche,” 

Tobin chuckles, “Cute,” she says, “I made you coffee,” she entices, trying to get her to move. 

“I don’t want to leave this bed,” Christen states firmly, removing her hand from Tobin’s thigh and wrapping the comforter tightly around herself. 

“I’m not asking you to,” Tobin chuckles, “I just wanted to wake you before I brought it in,” 

“Breakfast in bed?” Christen gasps at her. 

“Yeah,” Tobin smiles and stands, “I’ll be right back.” 

She returns quickly holding a mug out for her, Christen sitting up as Tobin rests her pillows on the headboard for lean back on. Then she sets her own mug on the nightstand on the other side of the bed. She leaves the room and returns carrying two plates and hands her one before getting in bed next to her. 

Christen looks down at her plate, a smile growing across her face. “Okay,” she declares, “how did you know that a skillet is my absolute favorite breakfast dish?” 

Tobin looks over and shrugs, “I didn’t,” she replies, bringing her fork to her mouth, “when I looked around for something to make, it just popped in my head to put it all together,” she nods, “I used some of that cheese you had, too,” 

Christen takes her first forkful, moaning as she chews, “It’s delicious,” she sighs, “the cheese,” she growls hungrily, taking another forkful. 

Tobin chuckles and turns back to her plate, eating quickly. 

Christen reaches for the remote and clicks on the TV. She’s channel surfing when she feels a pair of eyes on her. She turns her head to see Tobin looking at her. “What?” she questions, tilting her head at Tobin’s soft smile. 

“You’re really beautiful,” Tobin marvels, “I really like your curls,” 

Christen instinctively brings a hand up to her hair, “Oh,” she blushes, “come on,” she lowers her eyes, “I’ve just woke up, haven’t even showered from being in the river,” she shakes her head, “I’m not beautiful right now.” 

“You are to me,” Tobin says honestly.

Christen leans over and kisses her, “Thank you,” she says, “you’re pretty beautiful yourself,” her eyes go up to Tobin’s weird half ponytail and half bun on her head, “you’re the only one I know who can look hot first thing in the morning.” 

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Tobin grins and goes back to eating. 

Christen chooses HGTV and another one of those house hunting shows, intrigued in hearing Tobin’s opinion on the usually picky and unreasonable potential buyers. She’s mostly quiet through the episode, except to comment on the views or how she likes the one of the houses. 

During the commercial break, she nudges Christen, “Which one do you think they’ll buy?” 

Christen shrugs, “I think number two,” 

Tobin shakes her head, “Number three.” 

“Oh, you know that, huh?” Christen teases, “You’re positive?” 

Tobin nods smugly, taking a sip of her tea. 

“Wanna bet?” Christen provokes her, her eyes flashing dangerously. 

“Sure,” Tobin grins good naturedly, still giving her this look of superiority as if she knows she’s won whatever the bet will be. 

“Okay,” Christen says, “wait. You haven’t seen this episode, have you?” her eyes narrowing on her. 

“Nope,” Tobin shakes her head, putting up two fingers, “scouts honor.” 

“Alright,” Christen nods, thinking of her choice of a worthy bet. She leers at Tobin, “Who ever wins gets to pick what they want the other to do to them sexually. We’ll take a shower after this and then hit the sheets.” 

Tobin’s mouth drops open and her eyes go wide, surprised at the bet. She looks at her and licks her lips, “You’re on,” she says, sticking her hand out to shake. They shake hands and Christen taunts her, “You ready to be my sex slave?” 

Tobin chuckles, “I always will,” she quips, “but for this, you’ll be mine.” 

“No way,” Christen nudges her shoulder, “you’re going down!” 

“Oh, ho, ho!” Tobin exclaims, raising a finger and shaking it at her, “You’ll be the one going down,” she says, “on me,” she smirks, jutting her thumb at herself and wiggling her eyebrows at her. 

The show comes back on and the couple reveals they chose number three. 

“What?” Christen exclaims, “That one was over their budget!” She turns to Tobin who is silently smiling next to her. “You cheated, didn’t you?” she protests, “You did see this episode!” 

“No,” Tobin says calmly, “I’ve only watched one episode,” she states, looking at her, fully amused, “one of my friends was on this show and I know how it works.” 

“What do you mean?” Christen is confused. 

Tobin smiles at her shaking her head, “They’ve already bought the house,” she says, “before the episode even happens and they just to go two other open houses and stage the whole thing.” 

“It’s a set up?” Christen is shocked. 

“Yeah,” Tobin affirms, “you can totally tell, too,” she says, “they didn’t pick this one apart like they did the two others, they just played up on how it was over their budget and they needed to replace carpeting.” 

“It’s fake,” Christen murmurs hollowly, looking crestfallen. 

“It’s still a fun show,” Tobin tries to reassure her. 

“I’m so disappointed,” Christen pouts, then a smile grows on her face, “but I win in the end,” 

“Oh? How so?” Tobin asks, crossing her arms to listen. 

“Because whatever you decide, I’ll love doing to you,” she replies, leaning over and kissing her tenderly. When she leans back after the kiss, she looks at her expectantly, “So, what is it? What do you want me to do?” she asks curiously. 

Tobin brings her two fingers to her chin, stroking it as she contemplates, then she looks over at her, “I’d like to table my decision until after our shower,” she states, “is that alright with you?” 

“It’s fine,” Christen grins, “let’s go,” she tugs on her arm, anxious to get started, horny as all get out. Tobin follows her and picks up the plates from the nightstand. Christen hollers for her to hurry while she sets the plates in the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just two more chapters to go. Not gonna lie, feeling a little sad about closing this one out. Thanks again for all of the positive comments and the kudos, it's much appreciated.


	16. 6151 Words On Sex And Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christen pays off the bet. 
> 
> Smut Alert.   
> Smut.   
> Smut.   
> Smut.   
> Oh, and some talk about feelings.

Thursday, January 2nd

They sit on the bed, Christen kneeling and Tobin slouched on the pillows against the headboard, both wearing the white fluffy robes. After their rather chaste shower, Christen had made sure to put the Do Not Disturb sign on the outside of the door, turning the lock and chaining the door for extra measure. 

She grabbed her speaker and phone, frowning when she realized it was dead, Tobin offering hers and finding a playlist of new music she found calming and soothing. 

Now they’re staring at each other, Tobin with a small satisfied smile on her face. 

“Okay,” Christen finally breaks, “what do you want?” 

“Two pairs of leggings,” she replies, barely concealing her grin. 

Christen rolls her eyes and gets off the bed, finding the leggings and tossing them at her on the bed. She crawls back up on the bed, giving her a look. “Anything else?” she asks sarcastically, having no clue why Tobin would want the leggings. 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, her voice low and sultry, “come on over here and kiss me,” she requests. 

“Gladly,” Christen perks up, glad to get the show on the road, “I’ve been waiting to do that,” she says as she crawls up before her, placing her hand on her jaw and kissing her passionately. 

Tobin’s head bounces off the back of the headboard with her force. 

“Ow!” she squeaks, rubbing the back of her hand, looking at her lustily, “A little rough there, huh, Chrissy?” her eyes roaming to look down at her open robe. 

“Chrissy?” Christen pulls back, surprised. 

Tobin gives her a toothy smile, “I was joking,” she puckers her lips for another kiss and Christen complies, giving her one. 

“So, what can I do for you?” Christen inquires, flicking open Tobin’s robe and letting her fingers lightly trail on her chest. 

“I would like,” she says softly, working her fingers onto Christen’s chest as well, “you,” she says, firmly gripping her breast, “to tie me up with those leggings,” Tobin states, looking at her   
intently, then she licks her lips, “and then,” she leans forward and kisses her softly, “I want you to please me however you want,” 

Christen looks at her, her mouth open in reaction to her request. She slowly sits back on her legs, “However I want?” she asks breathily, eying her steadily. 

“However you want,” Tobin confirms, giving her a small nod. 

Christen looks at her, biting her lower lip, thinking for a moment. “Can we talk about it a little?” she asks timidly, thinking of her birthday gift lying in the closet that she just can’t keep from her mind.

“Of course,” Tobin smiles at her, “you know we can,” 

“I,” Christen starts, “hang on,” she says and scrambles off the bed, retrieving the box from her closet floor and bringing it back on the bed. Tobin eyes the box curiously but says nothing. 

“This is a gift I got,” Christen explains, biting her lower lip, her eyes darting around, “Kelley got it for me for my birthday,” she continues hurriedly, trying her best not to be embarrassed about the whole thing, “I think she meant it as a joke, but now,” she looks down at the box, “now I kind of can’t stop thinking about it,” she finishes quietly. 

“Babe,” Tobin says softly, “it’s cool,” she gives her an encouraging nod, “when was your birthday?” 

“The 29th,” she replies to her, calming herself, relieved that Tobin hasn’t freaked out or anything. Yet. 

“The 29th?” Tobin questions, thinking. 

“You were in the hospital,” Christen reminds her, shifting to sit cross legged in front of her, the box in her lap. 

“Ah,” Tobin nods, the she frowns, “I missed your birthday,” 

“You didn’t know,” Christen reasons, “please don’t worry about it,” 

Tobin quirks her mouth, “I’ll think about that,” she says, “so,” she points to the box, “let’s see the goods,” 

But Christen isn’t ready to show her just yet, she needs to know her level of comfort about this type of thing. She’s only ever spoken to Vero once or twice about using toys, mostly out of curiosity, but how Vero shut her down makes her uncomfortable to discuss it with Tobin. “I,” she pauses, “have you,” she frowns, and shakes her head and looks at her, feeling nervous and vulnerable, “have you played with toys before? In the bedroom?” she asks meekly.

Tobin looks unfazed by her question and that eases Christen’s worry quite a bit. She casually shrugs, “I’ve played around with a vibrator before,” she says, “used whip cream and chocolate and stuff, if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Christen nods hesitantly, still unsure, thinking of how to phrase her introduction to the contents of the box. 

“I haven’t messed around with whips and chains,” Tobin surprisingly continues, wanting to expand after seeing Christen’s reaction, leaning forward and rubbing her forearm, “but if it’s with you, I’ll give anything a spin,” she smiles at her, then nods at the box, “show me,” she says gently. 

Christen lets out a deep breath and opens the flaps of the box. She removes the three bottles, Tobin picking them up one at a time and examining them, nodding her head. “Strawberry,” she reads on the first one, “ooooo, pina colada,” she exclaims, “so fancy and tropical,” she grins, looking at the last one, nodding approvingly, “mint chocolate, nice,” she sets the last bottle back on the comforter and looks at her expectantly. 

Christen looks at her with wide eyes, “I’ve never entertained ever using one of these,” she confesses, “Vero,” she starts, “we never played with anything,” she says, “she didn’t like it and wouldn’t ever consider it.” She shrugs, “I guess I never gave it much thought either.” 

Tobin is nodding as she speaks, understanding her worries, “Babe,” she says, “I’ve never been super…adventurous either,” she admits, “but, let’s not stress about this, alright? Think of it as trying out a new restaurant, we either like the meal and enjoy our experience or we don’t and we don’t go back there,” she suggests. 

Christen looks at her, chewing on her lower lip, “I’m making a really big deal out this, aren’t I?” she frowns. 

Tobin shakes her head, smiling softly, looking at her warmly, “It is kind of a big deal, though,” she says, “it’s not a topic we’ve discussed, so I think a healthy amount of trepidation is fine,” she reassures her and finds Christen’s hand and holds it in hers, “whatever is in your mystery box, I promise to have an open mind, okay?” 

“Okay,” Christen breathes out, putting her hand in and rummaging around under the tissue paper. She feels something else in the corner, bringing it out and looking at it curiously, a bottle of cleaning fluid. She sets it down and retrieves the dildo, holding it in front of her. 

Tobin tilts her head as she studies it, then she extends her fingers to touch it. “Here,” Christen hands it to her. Tobin handles it carefully, turning it in her hands. “So, you would put this part in yourself,” Tobin comments, looking at the insert portion and then running her fingertip over the silicone ridges on the base and shaft of the penis, “and this would feel good for you?” 

Christen half shrugs, “I guess so,” she says, looking at it. It’s the first time she’s really seen it as well, having hurriedly shoved it back into the box at the restaurant. 

“Wait,” Tobin points the dildo at her, “would you want to be the one wearing it or receiving it?” 

Growing more at ease and gaining some confidence from Tobin’s relaxed attitude, Christen arches an eyebrow at her and does a little shimmy, “Why not both?” 

Tobin’s eyes light up, “That’s the spirit!” she chuckles, nodding at her. Then she looks at the penis in her hand. “We’d have to go, like, slow, though,” she cautions, “I’ve haven’t done anything…penetrating in a long time.” 

“Same here,” Christen agrees. 

“So, you want to?” Tobin asks, growing excited. 

“Do you?” Christen asks hesitantly, still unsure if this is something Tobin would really want to try or is just being nice. 

Tobin looks at her steadily, studying her, “Chris,” she begins, setting the dildo on her lap and reaching to hold both of Christen’s hands, “I trust you. There’s just something about you I can’t explain,” she says, shaking her head a little, “I dated Morgan for like, almost two months before we actually slept together. Having sex with you so quick, it just felt right. I feel like you just get me, you understand me,” she smiles, “you may not know everything about me yet and I know there’s way more to you I don’t know, but I can’t shake this feeling about how compatible we are. It’s happened so fast, it makes my head spin in the most amazing way.” 

Christen can’t speak for a moment after Tobin’s confession. She smiles at her, “You bring out something in me, something I think that’s been dormant for a long time. You have this way of encouraging me to try new things, to allow myself to let go, to not care about what anyone might think. Being with you is so different from my relationship with Vero, looking back I see how,” she tilts her head and frowns a little, “how, like, vanilla it was. We were together but there wasn’t much there. Maybe that’s why I drove her away by working so much. I was bored? I wasn’t challenged? I didn’t think she really heard me or listened? You listen, you listen to understand, not to just reply. You hear what I say and think about it before you speak. You _hear_ me.” 

Christen squeezes Tobin’s hands, “I feel something for you, something big, something undefinable right now. We both know it’s too early to say love, but I know I want to be with you. I want to find out if we can fall in love.” She looks at her with watery eyes, “When you were out on that rescue, I sat in the bar with everyone, listening to radio for most of the night. I was so worried for you. Way too worried for someone I had just met. When you got out of the hospital, I wanted to be the one to take care of you. Me. I wanted to help. I wanted to take care of you.” 

Tobin looks at her with similar watery eyes. “I don’t normally just agree to let some stranger take care me,” she says slowly, “but I wanted you. I hoped it would be you. You make me feel safe.” She smiles softly at her, “This isn’t about sex.” She looks down at the dildo, “Just the short time we’ve been together, you can’t understand the joy I get from seeing you let yourself go. For throwing aside your conventionality and your fears. For allowing yourself to get out of your comfort zone and take risks. For you doing that with me, it means so much.” 

Christen doesn’t know what to say, blown away that Tobin would be so aware of just how much she had been struggling internally. It was as if the woman could read her like a book. She just leans down and kisses her passionately, trying to convey her emotions. 

She lifts her head slightly to look into Tobin’s eyes, “You’re really something else, Tobin Heath.” She says as she grins, “thank you,” 

Tobin just nods and puckers up for another kiss and Christen obliges. 

“So,” Tobin asks, her eye now blazing and her lips curling into a smirk, “you wanna cash in on that bet or what?” 

Christen beams at her, “Yes!” she says emphatically, laughing, feeling free and wild, “I do.” 

Tobin leans forward and they kiss passionately. Then Christen backs away, “I’m going to clean this, you pick out a lube and then you’ll have to explain to me how to tie you up with the leggings,” she crawls off the bed and heads to the bathroom. 

When she comes back, Tobin is lying on her side, robe off, grinning at her, her right wrist tied with material from one legging and her right ankle tied with one leg from the other legging. 

Christen kneels near her, “You’re sure?” she asks, wanting to be positive. She’s never tied someone up before. 

“I am,” Tobin replies, “are you?” 

“Yes,” Christen nods. 

“Alrighty then,” Tobin gives her a goofy grin, “let’s bang!” 

Christen rolls her eyes and pushes Tobin on her back, “Alrighty then,” she grins back at her, “let’s tie you up!” 

After a couple of tries, Christen gets Tobin’s hands secured against the headboard, arms spread out above her head. She runs the leggings under the mattress and wraps the material multiple times around her ankle and ties a knot. She stands on the side of the bed, viewing Tobin lying on the bed, spread eagle. For her. For her enjoyment. To do whatever she wants. She grins and she looks at her, “You know,” she says as she eases herself on the bed, “I’m not sure if you’re really the winner of the bet,” 

Tobin lifts her head to look at her, “Is that so?” she inquires. 

“Yeah,” Christen licks her lips, running two fingers up and down Tobin’s thigh, “I’m gonna really enjoy this.” 

“So, let’s say it’s a win win.” Tobin chuckles. 

Christen straddles her, “Oh yeah,” she says, resting her hands lightly on Tobin’s chest as she leans in to kiss her. In their haste they bump teeth, the need for each other is so great. All this talking about sex, about the desire of what to do to one another, it’s almost too much. Their tongues twist urgently, their chests heaving against each other. Christen’s fingers find the growing buds on Tobin’s chest, using her palms to cover them, massaging them roughly. Tobin moans into her mouth, arching her back, lifting her head from the pillow, trying to dominate. 

Christen pulls back, both of them breathless. 

They stare at each other, Tobin with a challenging look, just daring for Christen to let loose, to just finally go wild. The mix of Christen’s expression excites her, makes her feel as if she’s had a hand in Christen breaking free of herself, getting primal, at least, sexually. 

Christen leans back, still massaging Tobin’s chest, then raking her nails over her breasts, pausing to gently tease her nipples. Another moan escapes Tobin, looking at her with this mix of affection and desire and lust. 

“I’m yours,” Tobin husks, “whatever you want,” she pants, “do it.” 

Christen nods, grateful for Tobin grounding her and at the same time, encouraging her to do as she pleases. She lowers herself once more, finding Tobin’s willing mouth, but this time, their kiss is tender. It’s a kiss that is communicating to one another, passionate, affectionate, caring. It slows things down, allowing Christen to formulate her plan. She moves her head, finding   
Tobin’s neck, sucking gently, the fingers of her left hand skimming along Tobin’s side as her other hand supports herself upon the mattress. 

She thinks she knows how she wants to do this and she’s almost dripping with excitement. “Are you ready?” 

“Uh huh,” Tobin replies breathlessly, tugging on her arm restraints a little. Christen shifts her legs and turns around, backing up to carefully move over Tobin’s shoulders and straddling her head. She feels Tobin kiss the inside of her right thigh and then her left and shudders when her tongue swipes through her center. Christen leans forward, her hands on Tobin’s hips, then on the mattress and she arches forward and circles Tobin’s clit with the tip of her tongue. 

Christen’s never done this before, Vero never let her ride her face like this, complaining of it being dominating and claustrophobic. But as she feels how eager is with her tongue, licking and sucking on her, she feels as if Tobin has no problem with it. Glancing down and seeing how wet she is only confirms that thought. 

She moves onto her elbows, her hands gently massaging Tobin’s thighs as she lazily teases her clit with her tongue. She’s buzzing with excitement, this is really happening, and then Tobin takes her clit in her mouth and swirls her tongue and Christen moans languidly, her hips moving in to meet her face. She keeps her knees wide, wanting to make sure Tobin can breathe as she gently rocks in to meet her insistent tongue. 

She dips her head again, circling her tongue around her clit, raking her nails on Tobin’s thighs, digging in a little deeper, as her body responds to Tobin’s persistent strokes. Christen is finding it difficult to keep up, she rests the side of her head on Tobin’s thigh, panting. Tobin has picked up the pace, insistently diving her tongue within Christen, swirling around her opening, stretching her. 

Christen moans, feeling the sensation in her belly, that fire that begins to spread. She sits up, her hands on the tops of Tobin’s thighs, angling herself over Tobin, nudging back so her clit is up against Tobin’s mouth so she can get off finally. She won’t allow Tobin to tease her, positioning her clit in over of her mouth so she can continue stroking her with her talented tongue.   
“Yes,” Christen moans, her hips grinding in a circular motion over Tobin’s face, “faster, please,” she urges. 

Tobin quickens her pace, moaning into Christen’s core, sending vibrations throughout her body. Christen moans loudly, her legs feeling rubbery and powerless, her hips moving on their accord. 

“Oh, fuck!” she cries, panting as she is consumed by the fire, Tobin sucking on her clit sends her over the edge, gasping for air. 

She collapses forward, her head in between Tobin’s legs, near her knees. She’s wheezing for breath, her chest heaving. She can hear Tobin panting as well, both of them sweaty and hot. 

“Holy fuck, Tobin,” she mutters, her legs twitching, her knees against Tobin’s ribs. She manages to get up on her elbows and twists herself to look at Tobin. Their eyes meet, both of them eying each other lustily. 

Christen picks herself up off of Tobin, careful not to knee her as she moves. She lies next to her, moving her hand to brush back loose hair from Tobin’s face. Her chin, cheeks and nose are slick with Christen’s juices. Without care, Christen leans in to kiss her, tasting herself on Tobin’s lips and tongue. 

She pulls back and looks down at her, seeing Tobin give her a loopy grin. 

“You liked that, huh?” Tobin asks, wiggling her eyebrows and giving her a knowing wink. 

“I did,” Christen smiles at her, “you are extremely skillful,” 

“Why, thank you,” Tobin chuckles and puckers her lips, “what’s next?” 

“Well,” Christen draws out the word, “I was thinking that this is a really nice comforter and I would feel terrible if we made a mess.” She states, “So, I’m going to get a couple of towels. I’ll be right back,” 

“So practical,” Tobin calls out as Christen leaves the bed, “I’m sure housekeeping will appreciate it,” 

“It’s kind of my thing,” Christen states as she climbs back on the bed, tenderly wiping Tobin’s face, “I analyze everything,” she admits, “sometimes it’s a good thing, sometimes,” she shrugs as she uses a different towel to dry Tobin’s face, “sometimes, not so much.” 

“I get that,” Tobin acknowledges, “and I’d just like to state that in this case, it is a thoughtful and useful course of action.” 

“Thanks,” Christen says as she moves the pillow from behind Tobin’s head and sets it along her side, “now, I’d like you to lift up so I can put this pillow under your back.” 

Tobin does as told and settles back down with her torso lifted off the mattress. Christen has her lift again and she slides a folded over towel over the pillow under her ass and draping across the comforter. Christen reaches for the dildo and the bottle of lube, setting next to Tobin’s left leg. Then she leans against Tobin’s torso, peppering her neck and chest with kisses. She moves down her body, alternating between kisses and gently sucking on her hot skin. 

When she gets in between Tobin’s legs, she looks up and sees Tobin staring at her. She sends her a wink and drops her head, taking in the smell of her sex, that earthy aroma she’s grown to love. Tobin’s legs are spread wide apart, each foot nearly to the side of the sides of the queen sized bed. 

Christen takes her time, although Tobin is so wet and she can see a trail run down her thigh heading under her ass. Tobin’s trying to control her breathing, taking long measured breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. 

Christen can feel how Tobin arches her back in reaction to her first touch of her tongue against her. Feeling how wet she is, Christen just teases her clit while she brings her hand up and slowly enters her with her middle finger. Slowly she plunges into her depths, drawing her out finger nearly out and then inserting it again and again and again. 

Tobin issues a soft moan, her hips moving with Christen’s efforts, the two synchronized. Christen slides in another finger, alternating now between fucking her and using her fingers to circle her vagina, opening her up, making her squirm and moan beneath her. 

“Fuck,” she moans, her arms pulling at her restraints. This excites Christen as she enters her, twisting her wrist in a circle, her fingers feeling her warmth and pressing against her tight inner   
walls. 

“Oh, God,” Tobin cries out, her hips moving faster. Christen continues her efforts, circling her a few more times before sucking on her clit. 

Tobin’s hips jerks up, a prolonged groan escaping her mouth, her head back, her breathing heavy.   
Christen abandons her position from in between her legs, kneeling up. She reaches for the dildo, feeling a bit nervous. She picks up the bottle of lube, biting her lower lip and spreading her legs. She glances up and sees Tobin looking at her, her mouth open, her eyes blazing with desire. 

Christen knows she’s wet, maybe wetter than she’s ever been in her life, but she’s still nervous about putting the dildo in herself. She opens the bottle and uses two fingers to spread the liquid liberally over the insertion portion of the dildo. 

She eyes Tobin once more, “Here goes nothing,” she says nervously, dropping her hands in between her legs. 

“Babe,” Tobin’s husky voice makes her freeze and look up. 

“Babe,” Tobin repeats, “if it hurts or you can’t get it in, don’t worry, okay?” 

Christen swallows roughly, “Thanks,” she says, taking a deep breath, “I’m a little nervous,” she admits. 

“Me too,” Tobin offers, giving her an encouraging smile. 

“I want to do this,” Christen states, “just to try,” 

“Just, don’t hurt yourself,” Tobin cautions, “we can do something else,” 

“I know,” Christen says, “I just want to try,”

“Okay,” Tobin nods, “slow,” 

Christen brings the item up towards her center, gently rubbing herself with it. It feels good, the smooth silicone sliding over her center and up her clit. She enjoys how it feels, so she keeps moving it gently around, swiveling her hips slowly. She looks up and sees Tobin staring at her again.

“You look so fucking hot,” Tobin utters, her voice strained, “you’re gonna make me come by just doing that,” 

Feeling a burst of confidence from Tobin, Christen begins to push, squeezing her eyes shut, her mouth dropping open. She grimaces slightly as she feels it entering herself, opening her up, spreading her wide. She gets it about halfway in and begins to worry it might not fit, when it suddenly slips in, seated within. She groans and throws her head back, hearing Tobin exhale loudly. 

She lifts her head up and looks down at her, a wicked smile surfacing. 

“How does it feel?” Tobin questions, staring at the penis now in between Christen’s legs. 

“ _So good_ ,” Christen replies, drawing out the words, almost moaning them. Feeling highly aroused and a lot of has to do with how Tobin is looking at her, she places her right hand on the penis, stroking it ever so slowly. She brings her left hand down in between her legs, dabbing at the lube with two fingers, raising her hand to her breast and circling her own nipple as she stares at Tobin. 

Tobin feels that she’s going to spontaneously combust any moment, she’s so aroused, so fucking horny and needs Christen to touch her, anywhere, she strains at her restraints. This woman takes teasing to a whole new level, she thinks to herself. 

She senses that she’s the only person who has ever seen this side of Christen. She looks wild, her curly hair, springy and flowing down her back, how she’s moving her hips and allowing herself to really experience how she feels about using this dildo. It’s like she’s having a sexual epiphany. Tobin thanks the Lord to be the one here with her, because at this moment, Tobin thinks she could possibly die from the orgasm that’s building in herself. 

Christen crawls forward on her knees, close to Tobin’s thighs, “You ready to play, baby?” she questions, raking her fingertips on Tobin’s inner thighs. 

Tobin swallows hard, her mouth is bone dry, she can’t produce any words, so she nods. Christen settles back on her calves and slowly begins to tease Tobin by rubbing the dildo against her clit. 

“Oh, sweet, Jesus!” Tobin mutters, her legs straining to move. Christen guide the phallus slowly up and down Tobin’s slick center, nudging her open, teasing. Deciding to have some pity for the poor woman tied up underneath her, Christen eases herself onto Tobin, slowly rocking the penis against her, thrusting gently without entering her. 

The friction it causes makes Tobin moan loudly, she’s so far gone she can feel the steady rumble building within her. She can hear her heartbeat in her ears, panting, hips undulating with Christen’s movements. 

“Ah,” she moans, feeling that tingle, that pins and needles sensation spread throughout her body, jerking her head forward to her chin. Christen rotates her hips, swirling against her clit, the member gliding over her.

She lets out an animalistic groan as she comes, shuddering as Christen sucks on her neck. Christen continues to kiss her, just behind her ear, creating goosebumps, then her collarbone, biting down and then sucking. Their breasts mashed together, both of them growing hot, glistening with a light sheen of sweat. 

Tobin’s gasping, her chest moving rapidly, she feels a little dizzy from the intensity of her orgasm. 

“You’re going to kill me, woman,” She rasps, “holy fuck!” Her eyes are glassy, she’s blinking rapidly. 

Christen pants, a look of amazement on her face, “That,” she shakes her head, “I don’t know what overcame me,” 

“I don’t know either,” Tobin looks at her with a mix of affection and lust, “but holy shit, you need to do that again!” 

Christen gets on her knees, straddling Tobin’s stomach, looking down at her. She wipes the sweat from her brow, “I’ve never…” she trails off, eying Tobin who’s looking at her intently, “I’ve never been so…wild.” 

Tobin’s grin grows larger, “That’s fantastic, Chris,” she encourages, “I’m flattered that you felt comfortable enough with me to let yourself go like that,” 

Christen smiles down at her, “It’s crazy how comfortable I feel when I’m with you,” she says sincerely. Then she suddenly laughs, “I can’t believe I did that!” 

Tobin chuckles, “Neither can I, but I’d love to see that again sometime!” 

Christen leans against her, doing her best to hug her, then she kisses her sweetly. “I never thought my trip here would change my life so profoundly,” she says, “I’m so incredibly grateful for coming here.” 

“I’m so incredibly grateful you came here, too,” Tobin agrees. 

Christen kisses her softly, tenderly, running her fingers along Tobin’s jaw. As she kisses her she slowly brings her hand down to caress Tobin’s breast, lightly teasing the hard, upright nipple. She carefully scoots down, getting herself between Tobin’s legs, once again gently thrusting against her. 

Tobin moans into her mouth, arching her back, lifting Christen with her. She pulls back from her, the sound of their heavy breathing mixing with the soft background music. Christen takes the cock in her hand, rubbing Tobin’s clit, then circling her opening. She takes the lube and applies some more to the cock and then coats Tobin’s center. 

Carefully she presses forward, the head of the cock sliding through her folds. Tobin’s eyes are clamped shut, her head back mouth open. As Christen enters her, Tobin lets out a high pitched moan, arching her hips to accept it, feeling it slide through her tight rings. 

Christen stops, only a third of the way in here, pausing for Tobin to get used to the sensation of being stretched. 

“You’re good,” Tobin moans after a moment, “keep going,” she urges. 

“Okay,” Christen says, her voice cracking with emotion. She pushes in further, feeling the silicone pads teasing her clit. It makes her throw her head back and moan loudly. 

“Feel good?” Tobin questions, her voice breathy and low. 

“Amazing,” Christen groans as she does it again. 

“It gets me hot thinking that you’ll get off too,” Tobin says quietly, arching her back slightly and slowly moving her hips beneath Christen. 

“Me too,” she utters, beginning to find the right way to roll her hips so she feels the ridges gliding against her clit. She repeats the motion, her slow thrusts in rhythm with the beat of the soft music playing. Both of them issue soft moans and Christen feels comfortable enough with her movements to slides her hands forward and dig them under Tobin’s shoulders, laying on her chest. 

They kiss as they move together, their bodies gliding against each other, both feeling the incredible sensations. Christen begins to think maybe she should start moving faster, she glances up and sees Tobin looking at her. 

“There’s no rush,” Tobin speaks softly, making Christen think that Tobin can read her mind, “just stay in the now, you’ll know when to kick it in high gear.” 

Christen nods and thinks Tobin is a sensualist, enjoying the act, not needing to climax quickly. With Vero things always escalated quickly, as if the climax was the only goal, not taking the time to enjoy the experience. She startles herself that she realizes that is exactly what Tobin is talking about. It also occurs to her, that while Tobin may have told her that she could please her however she wanted, Tobin is gently leading the way, encouraging herself to explore own her body as she wants. 

She moves her head and softly kisses Tobin’s collarbone, finding that valley of the clavicle, then nibbling on it, tasting her. One of her hands glides over Tobin’s side, feeling her ribs, then settling on just cupping her breast. 

“Kiss me,” Tobin urges, lifting her head and Christen responds immediately. They kiss softly at first, lazily exploring each other, savoring each other. 

This is how it should be, Christen thinks, this is what it is to make love. A rush of emotions floods her, but she’s calm. This is right. It doesn’t matter to her that they’ve only known each other for such a short time, this is what it feels like. Hell, she thinks, I’m looking into moving here for fucks sake. 

Christen bites on Tobin’s lower lip, pulling it a little, her right hand finding the back of Tobin’s head, fisting her hair, and pulling it gently. Tobin whimpers, arching her back, her arms straining, muscles flexing. 

Christen kisses her hard, her pace picking up, thrusting into her again and again and again. They break free, both beginning to pant, both feeling on the edge. Christen plunges into Tobin, fully giving her the entire length of the cock, bottoming out, making her cry out in pleasure and issuing a slew of cursing. 

“Oh, fuck,” Tobin bursts out, her hips rocking in time with Christen’s movements, “yeah, baby, harder,” she urges, “I’m almost there.” 

With that, Christen shifts once again, straightening her back, her hands placed next to Tobin’s sides on the mattress. She’s now rocking into her, moaning loudly as she feels those ridges,   
those amazing little flaps of silicone tickling and massaging her clit with the pressure of her hips meeting Tobin’s as she propels herself inward to her depths. Christen looks down to see how the cock slides into Tobin’s pussy, the union of the two meeting. It does something to her. 

Both of them begin to jerk their hips uncontrollably, Tobin moaning with each exhale, Christen beginning to do the same. They both feel the delicious sensitivity to the passion they share. When Tobin jerks her head forward, inhaling deeply and holding her breath, chin resting on her chest, Christen can’t stop the shudders roaring through herself, making her hips drive into Tobin.

“Oh,” she lets out an elongated moan, convulsing as her orgasm races through her, making her dizzy, her breathing ragged, her arms feeling weak.

“Ah,” she hears Tobin moaning, looking completely out of it, her eyes little slits, her body being pushed forward and back along the mattress as Christen rocks into her. Christen suddenly collapses, her arms unable to hold her up, landing hard on Tobin, hearing her grunt, both panting with ragged inhalations. 

They say nothing for a long time, Christen twitching into Tobin with her aftershocks, making Tobin shudder and inhale sharply. It keeps happening, Christen too weak to roll off her. 

“Oh God,” Tobin cries, “please, baby, I can’t,” she pleads, “please, please move off,” 

It takes Christen a couple of times to gain the strength to slide the dripping cock from Tobin’s cunt that floods the towel with her fluids. 

“I’m sorry,” Christen pants, “I couldn’t,” 

“S’okay,” Tobin pants, “s’okay,” 

They both lay there breathing heavily, enjoying the afterglow of their passion. After a couple of minutes, Christen can finally move and shifts off Tobin, removing the cock from herself, lying next to her. When she sits up, it takes a moment for the dizziness to pass and scoots on her knees to untie Tobin’s hand from the legging that’s holding her in place. Tobin’s arm drops weakly from the restraint. 

Christen gets Tobin free of the bindings and snuggles down next to her. 

“That was unreal,” Tobin says, wonder in her voice, she turns her head to look into Christen’s green eyes. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever come that hard,” Christen admits, “it lasted so long,” She feels Tobin’s head nodding next to her.

“I feel like I came four times,” Tobin adds, “it was so intense.” 

“Intense,” Christen repeats, “I like that word,” she says, turning on her side to face her, letting her hand glide on Tobin’s sweaty stomach, “did you like it?” She asks, concerned about how   
Tobin feels about it, “I mean, did it hurt? Were you uncomfortable?” 

Tobin slowly rolls over on her side to face her, a smile on her face, “It was a little uncomfortable at the start,” she says, “but you going slow and taking it easy let me relax and it didn’t hurt.” 

She looks at her, searching her eyes, “I think the best thing about it was that you were feeling just as good as I was,” she says softly, “I really liked that we got off at the same time,” 

“I liked that part too,” Christen agrees and sits up, “I’m going to pee and get some water, I’ll be right back,”

“So, did you like your meal at the restaurant?” Tobin asks cheekily, lying there looking so satisfied. 

Christen grins at her, “Yes, I did,” she says, kneeling one leg and kissing her softly. She draws her face back, looking into her eyes, “but we haven’t had dessert yet.” 

Tobin chuckles, “And what do you have in mind for dessert?” She’s wearing an amused expression and puts her hand behind her head. 

“I want to eat you out again,” Christen informs her, “then stick that in you,” she gestures to the dildo, “and have _you_ fuck _me_ while I ride you.” 

Tobin’s eyebrows shoot to the top of her head, “Oh,” she says, grinning and nodding, “I think that rates right up there with the chocolate box, huh?” 

Christen tilts her head, “What do you mean?” 

Tobin sits up and eyes Christen’s body, “Sex and chocolate,” she says, “expectations?” 

“Oh!” Christen laughs, shaking her head as she walks to the bathroom, “Definitely exceeds, babe!” she calls out over her shoulder, hearing Tobin chuckle behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so that happened.


	17. Wrapping It Up

Thursday, January 2nd 

It’s later that night and Tobin and Christen are sitting at a high table in a dingy bar that Tobin has promised her has the best burgers with the most unique choices around. They’re scanning their menus as they choose their beers, both opting to have a flight and taste some of the local craft brews the bar offers. 

After their morning sex marathon, they showered again and got dressed for the day. They ended up eating nearly every morsel of the remaining food in Christen’s room with Tobin still complaining how hungry she was. 

Her need for sleep overpowered her hunger and they ended up napping on the couch, some weird team Spanish Survivor and Ninja Warrior type competition show on playing on the TV in the background. When they awoke, dinner was on their minds and Tobin suggested burgers and Christen readily agreed. The plan was to enjoy a meal and a couple of drinks and then go to the grocery store after that. 

Their server, a guy about their age, comes by and takes their orders, greeting Tobin by name and asking how she’s doing. She greets Ted and introduces Christen and explains to her that she knows him from the ski resort. 

“I thought you were working in Portland, dude,” Tobin tilts her head at him, surprised to see him. 

“Nah,” Ted shakes his head, “too far from the slope,” he grins, then turns to face Christen. 

“Christen,” Ted smiles, “Tobin is too humble,” he says, “she saved my life a year and a half ago when I had a stroke while I was skiing,” he explains, “I would have died if it wasn’t for her.” 

Christen eyes Tobin who is looking down, playing with the little piece of paper that was used to wrap their utensils. She looks up at Ted, “We have that in common Ted,” she smiles at him and then Tobin who looks up when she speaks, “she saved my life two days ago.” 

Ted grins, looking at Tobin, then looking at Christen and then he gives Tobin a soft punch on her upper arm, “I see,” he teases, “you only take out the pretty ladies you save,” he chuckles, bringing a hand up to cover his heart, “I’m so hurt,” he feigns sadness, his lower lip protruding in a pout. 

“Ignore him,” Tobin says to Christen, her eyes showing amusement, “he’ll go away if we just ignore him.” 

Ted laughs and squeezes Tobin’s shoulder, looking at Christen, “See? So humble,” he says. 

“You back out there?” Tobin questions, “You good now?” 

“Yep,” he replies, “the doc released me to ski two months ago, just have to wear a lid now.” 

“Well,” Tobin drawls, “you should have been wearing one in the first place,” 

“I know, Mom,” Ted says sarcastically, “but I like to think God had a plan,” he shoves his hand in his pants pocket, pulling out his phone. He pulls up a photo to show them, it’s of a very pretty girl in a wheelchair. “This is Donna,” he explains, his eyes shining with happiness, “my fiancé. We met in rehab and really hit it off. Clear your calendar for June 19th, the save the dates are going out at the end of the month.”

Tobin bounces out of her chair, hugging him, “Dude!” she exclaims, “That’s so awesome! Congratulations!” 

“Thanks,” He beams, glancing at Christen and then Tobin, “bring Christen as your date. We’ll have a mini reunion.” 

Christen is pulling out her phone and entering the date in her calendar, “Sounds good to me,” she grins, then looks at Tobin who is sitting back down, “think you can handle it, Heath?” 

Tobin looks between the two and smiles broadly, “It would be my honor,” she genuinely as she nods her head. 

“Sweet!” Ted exclaims, “I’ll go put these in now, they’ll be out in a bit.” He turns to face Christen, “Very nice to meet you Christen, we’ll have to discuss the possibility of creating a fan club in   
honor of Ms. Heath’s heroics.” 

He leaves their table and Christen eyes Tobin as she smiles at her. 

“That’s pretty amazing,” Christen says quietly, “it’s nice to hear a happy ending.” 

“Yeah,” Tobin says, a little shyly. She pulls out her phone and sets it on the table, “so,” she says, “I have a couple of things I’d like to discuss, if that’s cool,”

“Sure,” she agrees easily. 

“Okay,” Tobin nods, “so, like we’re definitely together,” she states, looking at her expectantly. 

“Yes,” 

“So, it would be okay to introduce you officially as my girlfriend, right?” Tobin looks at her carefully. 

“Yes,” Christen smiles and emphasizes it with a sharp nod of her head. 

“Cool,” Tobin grins. 

“This weekend,” Tobin opens her calendar on her phone, “Kelley and Julie are coming in,” 

“Yes,” Christen continues to grin with her response. 

“Should I check with Emily and Zach if they want to go into the city on Saturday night?” 

“Yes,” Christen giggles. 

Tobin chuckles at her, “Will you check with Kelley and Julie to see if that’s cool with them?” 

“Yes!” Christen is now laughing and Tobin joins in. Tobin sighs at her, then bites her lower lip as she looks at her phone. 

“Okay,” she says, “I can take a three day weekend in two weeks to come see you, would that work?” 

“Yes,” Christen just can’t stop herself. Tobin rolls her eyes. She fiddles with her phone and Christen reads about the beer she’s sipping on. She thinks it’s pretty decent. 

She sees Tobin take out her wallet and set it on the table. After a couple of minutes she looks up again, “Okay, I can come out Friday night, late, and leave Monday around five, is that cool?” 

Christen just nods with a smirk on her face. She sees Tobin begin to type on her phone and stops her. 

“Wait,” Christen says suddenly, reaching across and touching Tobin’s forearm, Tobin looking up at her. 

“Listen,” Christen says softly, “I have millions of miles from the amount of travel I do,” she bites her lower lip, “it wouldn’t be a problem if I booked your flight.” 

Tobin looks at her with a closed mouth smile, titling her head slightly as she considers. “Consider this, okay?” she finally says, “This isn’t going to cost a ton, I really don’t mind. Skiing usually closes up late April or early May because we’re low on the mountain. Would you consider taking a vacation and use the miles you want to blow then?” 

Christen beams at her, “That’s an amazing idea!” she exclaims, “I love it, that would be perfect.” 

“Cool,” Tobin grins and looks down at her phone, entering her information in and then her credit card number. 

“Okay,” Tobin chuckles, “what’s your email? And don’t tell me it’s yes at yes dot yes.” 

Christen chuckles and sighs, giving Tobin her personal email address. 

“We’re set,” Tobin smiles as she places her phone on the table, “I’m really looking forward to coming to LA.” 

“I’m excited to have you,” Christen says, practically glowing at Tobin’ enthusiasm for coming to see to her. 

Ted stops back and sets their flights down, telling them the burgers will be up soon. 

Tobin fidgets in her chair, again sucking in her lower lip and nodding to herself as she mentally prepares herself. Christen watches her carefully, learning this is one of Tobin’s quirks as she’s figuring out how to talk about something important. 

“Sorry,” Tobin shrugs, “I was wondering,” she pauses, “how would you feel about meeting my sisters?” 

“I would be delighted,” Christen assures her, “this weekend?” 

“We could,” Tobin hedges. 

“What about lunch on Saturday in the city? Or Sunday, or if they want to come out with us, it’s fine with me, babe,” Christen says easily, “Whatever you’re comfortable with.” 

“Okay, I’ll talk to Perry and figure something out,” she says, “thanks.” 

“Of course,” Christen smiles, “just wait until you meet my sisters.” 

Tobin’s eyes raise, “Oh?” 

“I’m kidding,” Christen chuckles once more, “believe me, those two are so much more laid back than I am, you’ll be fine,” she assures her. Tobin smiles at her. 

“So,” Tobin lifts her small glass of beer, “how long are you here for?” 

Christen leans her elbows against the table, leaning forward and dropping her voice, “I think I’ll know more tomorrow,” she says, “with what’s happening at the resort.” She quietly fills Tobin   
in on the raid occurring tomorrow and how her company is offering legal representation for Lauren. 

“So, like I said,” Christen sips her beer, “I should know more tomorrow,” 

“Cool,” Tobin nods and looks up as Ted approaches with their food. 

“Here you are, ladies,” he announces with a flourish, “a Garden Burger with fresh curly fries for you,” he sets the plate in front of Christen, “and a Big Cow with Moo Squeal and sweet potato fries for you,” he sets down Tobin’s plate. “Enjoy you guys,” he says, “need a beer or just gonna work through your flights?” 

“I’m good,” Tobin says, looking across the table at Christen.

“I’ll stick with this, but I’ll take a water, please,” 

“Sure,” he smiles, “I’ll get you one too,” he nods to Tobin and leaves. 

Christen narrows her eyes at Tobin’s plate, “Okay, I didn’t read what yours was, a Big Cow with Moo Squeal?” she questions. 

Tobin grins, “A quarter pounder with cheese and bacon,” 

Christen chuckles, “I like the sound of that,” she says, lifting her burger to her mouth and humming as she chews because it’s so good. 

As they eat, Christen tells Tobin all of the places she wants her to see in LA. They talk about places they want to visit, cities that intrigue them, or places they’ve been and want to go back and further explore. Tobin shares options of what they could do in Portland the next few days. Christen counters that Tobin still needs to take it easy until she’s cleared by the doctor. Tobin   
accepts that, frowning when she says that would take away about half of things she wants to do with Christen. 

“Like what would those things be?” Christen asks, she’s curious. She knows Tobin is active, but she wants to know her interests. 

“Have you ever been indoor rock climbing? Or go to one of those trampoline places? There’s one that has a huge ball pit that’s fun.” Tobin says, taking a bite of her nearly finished burger and   
chews rapidly, excited to share her experiences, “or how about indoor lazer tag? Paintball?” she frowns, “That one can bruise you up though, I’m not sure you’d like that. Ooh, what about horseback riding in the woods? Or maybe we could go to one of the studios and paint, there’s different ones where you can paint on canvas or ceramics, like a mug or a platter or something. That’s always cool.” 

“You sound like a chamber of commerce member bragging about your city,” Christen teases her. 

Tobin shrugs, “There’s a lot of cool things to do,” 

“It sounds like it,” Christen agrees, “I like the idea of painting.” She says, deciding to just go for it and ask her. “Would you tell me about the paintings in your cabin? There are so many amazing ones, who is the artist?” 

Tobin wipes her mouth with her napkin, crumbling the flimsy paper and setting it on her empty plate, then she licks her lips and takes a drink of her water. “I would be the artist,” she replies, nodding slowly and taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, “Part of the therapy I do is art therapy,” she moves her plate to the side of the table, leaning forward and setting her elbows on the scarred wood surface, “so what that involves is that I go see my therapist, we talk about whatever and then I go home and really think about how I feel about that subject. Then I might paint it or draw it out. Sometimes I journal as well.” 

“Huh,” Christen murmurs, leaning forward on the table as well, resting her chin in her hand, “that is so interesting,” she says, “do you take it back to your therapist for her to examine?” 

Tobin nods, “Yeah,” she says, “we sit and she looks at it and we talk about it.” 

“Why do you have the sad ones on the wall?” Christen asks, very curious. 

Tobin shrugs, “I didn’t have any for a long time,” she says, sipping her beer, “but then I thought about it. I wanted to see how I was progressing with my therapy and meeting some of the goals I set. Actually, Alex encouraged me. She suggested it would be a good way to accept the reality of what happened if I saw them everyday and see the mix of positive ones right alongside the sadder ones. I think she’s right.” 

“So, they’re in a particular order?” Christen queries. 

“Uh huh,” Tobin nods, “it’s kind of a mess at the beginning of happy and sad and then it evens out into things that make me happy and content and larger subjects I value, like family and friends and nature and God.” 

“If someone asks you about a painting, does it make it easier to talk about it as a painting instead of something you went through, like as a memory?” Christen is intrigued. 

“Yeah,” Tobin nods again, “my therapist says it’s a way to disconnect from the strong emotions of the event and helps me learn to speak about it calmly, like being able to take a step back and not get super emotional.” 

“That is so interesting,” Christen comments as she takes a sip of beer, she winces and sets the glass down, “That’s way too bitter,” she says, “How did the opportunity come about to do that?” Christen asks, “I mean, to paint or draw,” 

“In one of our first meetings, she asked me my hobbies and I told her that I liked doing that. We met a few times and then she suggested it,” Tobin shrugs, “I’m not very awesome about articulating my feelings and expressing myself completely.”

“Well,” Christen smiles at her, reaching her hand across the table to hold Tobin’s “I think you’ve done very well expressing yourself to me,” she says, “sure, there’s still things we don’t know really know about each other, but I think it’s normal stuff,” she looks at her, tilting her head.

Tobin gives her a soft smile, “You’re really easy to talk to,” she confesses, “and you have this way about you that calms me and makes me feel safe.” She squeezes her hand, “For instance,” she shifts in her seat, “you haven’t asked me about Morgan and Mikey since the river incident and how I completely lost my shit. I do know enough about you to know that you’re giving me time to process it for myself and letting me figure out how I can talk to talk about it.” 

Christen leans back in her seat, “Wow,” she says, shaking her head, “you busted me.” She smiles at her, “Lauren told me some details,” she admits, “not everything, I’m sure, but enough to know that what happened was incredibly tragic and had to be horrific for you to experience. I don’t want you to think I believe you’re, like, fragile mentally or something, it’s quite the opposite, I think you’re incredibly strong. But you’re right, maybe I guess that’s an area you’re hesitant to discuss and I respect that. But know, anytime you want to talk, I’m very willing to listen.” 

“Thanks,” Tobin whispers, wiping at her eye. 

“And for what happened yesterday,” Christen continues, “I’m sorry.” 

Tobin looks at her with wide eyes, “Huh?” 

“I shouldn’t have gone out on ice, I should have known better,” she confesses, “I don’t think you know that I had been drinking after seeing you in the office. I was upset, I was so ashamed that I hadn’t spoken to you about my true reason for being at the resort, I went looking for you and when I couldn’t find you, I sat in the bar and drowned my sorrows for a few hours.” 

“Chris,” Tobin says, her voice cracks, then she glances around the bar and pauses. She bites her lower lip, nodding to herself before she speaks, “we can talk about it more, later, but please, know that we both made mistakes with how that whole thing went down.” 

Christen nods, agreeing that they should table the discussion for now, they’re in public and they’ll probably get emotional. “Well,” she says, looking at her brightly, “what do you say we hit the grocery store to cap off our evening?” 

Tobin smiles at her gratefully, “That sounds like a plan,” she says, catching the sight of Ted who has been lurking from a distance. 

He approaches the table, smiling at them, “Hope everything was enjoyable,” he looks at them expectantly.

“Ted, you outdid yourself,” Tobin smiles, rubbing her belly, “it was fantastic.” 

“Really,” Christen adds, “Tobin was right, it was the best burger I’ve had around here.” 

“Well, the check’s been taken care of, so have a great night,” he grins at them, then points his finger at Tobin, “don’t argue or I’ll have you tossed out of here,” he playfully threatens. 

Tobin stands and hugs him, “Thanks, bro,” she says, “and congrats again. I’ll be on the lookout for that save the date.” 

Christen extends her hand to him, “It was so nice to meet you,” she says, then holds up her phone, “don’t worry, I already put the date in here.” 

“Nice meeting you Christen,” he smiles, “take care of yourself Tobin.” 

They leave the bar feeling good, holding hands as they walk to Tobin’s Jeep. Tobin opens the door for Christen and then gets in on her side, keying the ignition and letting the Jeep warm up. 

“Thanks for taking me here,” Christen leans over in her seat to kiss her cheek, “it was wonderful.” 

Tobin kisses her back, “Thank you,” she says, “for being so understanding.” 

“You know,” Christen comments as Tobin puts the Jeep in gear, “if you want to draw or paint or whatever after we shop, I’m fine with that.” 

Tobin scrunches up her mouth as she thinks, “That might be a good idea,” she admits, “you’ll come too, right? You can read or whatever, read, watch TV, do laundry, or clean my bathroom,” she jokes. 

“I’ll find something to keep me occupied.” She replies. 

“It’s a plan then,” Tobin grins and pulls out of the lot.

XXXX

Friday, January 3rd 

Tobin wakes alone in bed, Christen had left early to go back to her room and get dressed for a professional morning to help Lauren. They had talked about it last night before bed, agreeing that Christen would text her later and they could go from there. 

After returning to Tobin’s cabin and unpacking the groceries, which Christen insisted on paying for and keeping at Tobin’s place, claiming Tobin had the better kitchen. Tobin curled up on the floor with a blanket, leaning in between Christen’s legs who was on the couch, on her laptop with a notebook, doing some sort of research. When Tobin would get emotional while writing, she would feel Christen’s hand on her shoulder, her fingers lightly rubbing it. Neither would speak, but Tobin found the gesture immensely comforting and touching. 

She rolls out of bed, still sleepy but not enough to actually fall back asleep, instead heading to the bathroom and taking a shower. The ache of the cold has left her body, replaced by a general sense of tiredness. This past week has been eventful, physically and mentally. She knows she needs to rest, her job on the mountain is physical and needs to take care of herself to be in good shape. If she’s too tired or sore and she can’t perform her duties, it would put lives in danger and be irresponsible on her part. 

After dressing and eating breakfast, Tobin settles on the couch, intent to continue entering her thoughts in her journal. She starts writing, filing pages with the events of the last week and losing herself in her thoughts when her phone chirps. It’s Perry. 

“Hey,” Tobin greets, feeling just a small amount of anxiety from hearing her sister’s voice. She pulls the blanket from the back of the couch over herself. 

“Hey kiddo,” Perry greets warmly, “how are you?” 

“Doing alright, how about you?” Tobin replies, leaning back and snuggling under the blanket. 

“Good,” Perry answers, “so, Katie and I were wondering if you had a chance to think about getting together this weekend,” 

“Actually, yeah,” Tobin replies, feeling a warmth in her chest, relieved to hear that Perry and Katie are wanting to see her, “Chris and I talked about it last night,” she says, “I was going to call you this afternoon,” 

“Tobin,” Perry chuckles, “it’s near three o’clock. What are you doing?” 

“Oh, woah, really?” Tobin sputters, having no idea she was writing for so long, “uh, I was writing in my journal. It’s part of my therapy.” 

“Oh,” Perry replies quietly, “I’m sorry I interrupted, you can call me later,” she offers. 

“No, no,” Tobin rushes, “it’s fine, I guess I sort of got long winded, it’s fine,” Now she’s wondering why she hasn’t heard from Christen yet. She hopes nothing has gone wrong with the police raid and whatever else it involves. 

She flings the blanket off herself, suddenly starving. Lunch was hours ago. “We decided to leave it up to you guys, if you want to hang out on Saturday. We’ll be in the city that night with Emily and Zach and a couple of Christen’s friends, so if you want to hang with us or we could meet for lunch or dinner, whatever you guys want,” She gets off the couch and walks to the kitchen, opening the fridge to look for something to snack on. “Or,” she offers, “we could do brunch or something on Sunday.” 

“Oh, great,” Perry says, Tobin can picture her nodding, “let me check with Katie and we’ll get back to real soon.” 

“Cool,” Tobin agrees, shutting the fridge and reaching for an apple from the bowl on the counter. “Hey, uh, do you think just you and I could do dinner sometime of next week? Maybe you could come to my place?” 

“Yeah,” Perry agrees, “absolutely. Let me check with Sam and see if he invited me anywhere without my knowing and I’ll let you know.” 

“Great,” Tobin nods, “uh, any night except Monday, I have an appointment then.” 

“Okay,” Perry agrees. “When do you go back to work?” 

“I’ll find out Tuesday,” Tobin answers, setting her phone down and putting it on speaker, she gets out a paper plate and pulls a knife from the rack and begins to cut the apple, “I’m not so sore as much now, just kinda tired,” 

“You are getting enough rest, right? You’re not doing anything you shouldn’t be doing, are you?” Perry inquires, her motherly instinct towards Tobin showing. 

“I’m not,” Tobin smiles as she cuts her apple, “Christen is looking out for me,” 

“You’re pretty serious about her, huh?” Perry asks, Tobin hearing the happiness in her voice. 

“I am,” Tobin admits, “it’s just so weird, Per,” she says, grabbing her phone and taking her plate back to the couch and sitting cross legged on it, balancing the plate on her lap, “I’ve never   
met anyone, ever, who I feel as close to as her so fast.” 

“Well,” Perry says, “I can’t wait to really meet her,” she says, “we only spoke for a few minutes at the hospital, so it will be nice to get to know her. How long is she here for?” 

“Maybe a few more days,” Tobin replies, taking a bite of her apple slice, “she should know today how much longer.” 

“Oh,” 

“I’m going to see her in two weeks,” Tobin shares, feeling more comfortable with the conversation. 

“That’s wonderful!” Perry exclaims, “I’m really happy for you,” she says, “What are you eating?” she asks, hearing the crunch through the phone. 

“Apple,” is Tobin’s garbled reply from having a mouthful. “Forgot to eat lunch,” 

“You were writing for that long?” Perry asks quietly. 

“Uh huh,” Tobin answers, “I’ve had a lot on my mind,” she says, “and for once, it’s mostly all good.” 

“That’s really good, Tobin,” Perry says seriously, “I’m really happy that you are in a better headspace,” 

“Yeah,” Tobin agrees, “I guess, it was like the stars aligned or something,” she says, “it seemed like everything happened so fast,” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Tobin states, “It all started with Christen,” she states, “and from there, I started feeling better about all sorts of stuff and then I had the courage to come see you.” 

“I’m so sorry you felt you couldn’t,” Perry says heavily, “I feel so bad that we had such a misunderstanding and you felt how you did for so long.” 

Tobin sighs, “Looking back, it sounds so stupid,” 

“No, it doesn’t,” Perry refutes, “considering what you were going through at the time, what we were all going through,” she sighs, “if I was in your shoes, I probably would have reacted the same way.” 

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Tobin says, “I was pretty fucked up,” 

“Nonsense,” Perry states with authority, the way only an older sister can, “I bet if you told Christen exactly what happened, if you haven’t already, if you told her all the shit Morgan’s parents put you through and then what you heard in the kitchen, she would say the same exact thing.” 

Tobin thinks about that. “You really think so?” she asks quietly. 

“I know so, Tobin.” Perry replies.

They’re both silent, letting that sink in. 

“So,” Perry says, “Mom cried in happiness when I told her we got together,” 

“Yeah?” Tobin says, “I haven’t spoken with her yet.” 

“Well, you need to. She wants us all to have dinner soon.” Perry says, once again using that tone that’s a mix of chiding her while hearing the true affection in her voice. 

“I will,” Tobin promises. 

“Good,” Perry says, Tobin can just picture her nodding her head with a happy grin on her face. 

“Yeah,” Tobin smiles. She would call her Mom, maybe even right after this call. 

“I’ll get back to you about this weekend, alright?” 

“Yeah, Per, sounds good,” Tobin says, nodding to herself, “I’ll give Mom a call now,” 

“She’d like that,” Perry says, “very much.” 

“I think I would, too,” Tobin says, choking up a little. 

“I’ll talk to you later, squirt,” Perry says softly. 

“Love you, PerBear,” Tobin says as some tears sting her eyes. 

“I love you, too, Tobin. Bye.” 

They end the call. 

Tobin looks down at her phone, pulling up her Mom’s number and hits call. 

“Hey, Mom,” she greets, her voice trembling, “how are you?” 

XXXX

“Mrs. Holiday,” the detective says soothingly, “as soon as we review Ms. Scott’s financials, we’ll get back to you,” he says, “although, off the record, I did see an account with a hefty balance, so I believe things look good to you getting your money back.” 

“Oh, thank you, Detective Roberts,” Lauren gushes, “that would be wonderful.” 

“Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” he cautions, “we froze all of her accounts, and there’s at least three other companies she’s swindled, so we’ll have to run the numbers to figure it all out.” 

“Did she say anything when you came to her house?” Lauren asks, looking concerned, after all, this woman had been a second Mother to her growing up. She loved the lady and was so conflicted that she would steal from her. 

“She went ghost white and began to cry.” He replies, shaking her head. 

“What a shame,” Christen murmurs, “I’m so sorry Lauren,” 

Lauren looks at her with tears in her eyes, “I’m so grateful to you,” she says, “if it weren’t for you, who knows what would have happened. Those other companies, Jill affected so many people with this.” 

“I’ll be in touch, ladies,” Detective Roberts states, shaking both of their hands, “fingers crossed,” he smiles and departs Lauren’s office. 

Christen and Lauren sit in silence for a moment, processing their morning. 

“How did your parent’s take it?” Christen asks quietly. 

“They were stunned,” Lauren explains, “they couldn’t believe she would do such a thing. Then they got angry. My Dad had to hold my Mom back from going to Jill’s house to yell at her.” Her lip curls into a smile, “She would beat her ass,” she shakes her head, “my Dad is going to pull up all of his tax records to be certain she didn’t do anything underhanded while she was working for them.” 

“Well,” Christen smiles, a thought entering her head, “I bet Julie and Kelley wouldn’t mind coming back here to review them,” she says, “you know, due diligence on behalf of Press Enterprises.” 

“As long as you can promise Kelley and Emily wouldn’t destroy this place, I’m all for it,” Lauren laughs. 

Christen shakes her head, “You can’t control Kelley,” she chuckles, “you can only hope to contain her.” She reaches for her phone, “I need to text Tobin,” she murmurs. 

“So, how long are you here for?” Lauren smiles in happiness at her. 

“I think Monday night,” she frowns, “I do need to get back and talk to my dad and the team and get some things figured out.” 

“And Tobin?” Lauren looks at her expectantly. 

Christen gives her a toothy smile, “Is visiting me in LA in two weeks.” 

Lauren stands and so does Christen, the two hugging. 

“You know,” Lauren says with the hint of a smirk on her face, “this really has been like one of those Hallmark Christmas movies,” 

“You think?” Christen asks, uncertain.

“I know,” Lauren nods her head, “now you,” she says, opening her office door, “go find Tobin and get your happily ever after.” 

Christen picks up her purse, “I believe I will.” She grins at her, “See you later.” 

XXXX

It’s late, Tobin and Christen are in bed, snuggled up against each other, speaking quietly. Christen had gone back to Tobin’s cabin, eating a lunch of Perry’s lasagna and telling Tobin about how the raid went and how the Detective was cautiously optimistic. 

Tobin shared her afternoon, speaking with Perry and then her Mom. Then she told her about how the accident happened with Morgan and Mikey. She gave her all the details, how Morgan’s parents were, how she overhead Perry and Katie and believed they were speaking about her. 

Christen interrupted her when she heard that, telling her how awful that must have been, how she could completely see how Tobin would think that, especially with all that she had gone through. 

Tobin tells her how she knew she needed therapy, how she moved in here, her belongings still in storage. She tells her everything. 

Christen holds her as she speaks, rubbing her arm when she gets upset, offering encouragement when she gets tongue tied. Listening to her. Hearing her words. Letting them soak in so she could understand what Tobin was experiencing. 

When Tobin finishes, Christen gathers her courage and shares with her the conversation she had with her Dad and how she thinks she will leave her job. She shares her conversation with Channing, how her sister knocked some sense into her. The Facetime call with her Mother. How her parents are having their own reawakening. 

She quietly shares that she’s looked into jobs around Portland. 

“Babe,” Tobin says softly, “as much as I want you here,” she says, “I want you to figure out exactly what you want to do,” she looks at her intently, “I’m totally cool with the long distance for as long as it takes for you to make your decisions without being rushed, okay?” 

Christen nods silently. 

“I just don’t want you to feel like you need to have all of your answers in a week or something, you know?” Tobin continues, “The world is a big place and you’re so talented, there might be something really cool and unorthodox out there that will blow you away.” 

Christen lays her head on Tobin’s chest, running her hand on her side, “I think this is something I can’t completely enter in my planner,” she says quietly, “that terrifies me and also excites me.” 

She feels Tobin kiss the top of her head, “I feel the same way, terrified and excited about us. But what keeps the scary parts away is knowing how important it is for us to communicate, and that makes me feel there’s nothing we can’t work out.”

“I feel the same way,” Christen agrees, “I can tell you anything, everything. We’re going to figure this out.” 

“I can’t wait for that,” Tobin sighs happily, “and I can’t wait to go surfing.” 

Christen chuckles, lifting her head up to look at her, “I can’t wait to see you in a bikini,” 

Tobin wiggles her eyebrows at her, “Don’t make me daydream about seeing you in one,” 

“Two weeks,” Christen sighs happily as she lays her head back down. 

“Two weeks,” Tobin repeats just as happily. 

They lay, both drifting off, when Christen lifts her head again. 

“Tobin?” she asks, not sure if she’s asleep yet. 

“Huh?” is the drowsy reply. 

“Do you feel like all of this, us meeting, the resort, the rescue drama, you and me,” she says, “do you feel like this is like one of those Hallmark Christmas movies?” 

“Yeah,” Tobin breathes out, smiling at her, “like the best one ever.” 

Fini.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the first and probably last time I will write any Preath stories. Really not feeling the love for it and scrapping the plans for a part two.
> 
> Thanks to those who stuck around. Not sure when I'll be back on here.

**Author's Note:**

> This idea popped in my head and it just took hold. I don't normally write much Preath, but it seemed ideal for this setting. Hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Oh, and if you've read anything from me before, know there will be some cliffhangers, but I post pretty quick and consistently. 
> 
> This chapter is a little short, but it's to test the water- are y'all interested?  
> Peace!


End file.
